In 2010, Senate Bill 1440 (Padilla) authorized and set the parameters for the creation of transfer-focused associate degrees within the California community colleges. Follow-up legislation in 2013 (Senate Bill 440, Padilla) established additional mandates regarding these degrees.
Since 2004, three key pieces of legislation have mandated clear and specific action from the California Community Colleges (CCCs) in order to support student success and improve transfer rates to the California State University (CSU) system.
Every college struggles to create processes of quality assurance and continuous improvement to demonstrate and ensure its service to students and community. Accreditation is one avenue that ensures some uniformity across many institutions in the eyes of the public. While this paper focuses on accreditation processes and meeting the needs of accrediting commissions, it is important to remember the overarching goals of service and improvement when devising systems appropriate to each individual college.
Whereas, On September 4, 2013, the California State Board of Education adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as the new standards for scientific instruction for all K-12 students in California;
Whereas, The Intersegmental Committee of Academic Senates (ICAS) originally published the Statement on Natural Science Expected of Entering Freshmen in 1988 and had not updated the documents since its initial adoption;
Whereas, On-campus violence has impacted our colleagues, students and system of higher education;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges express its sympathy and condolences to the colleges, universities, and communities affected by violence.
MSU
Whereas, The California community colleges career technical education (CTE) mission and programs are monitored and supported by seven macro regional consortia whose members are comprised of representatives from every college within each of these regions and each of these regional consortia exist as separate entities operating under separate grants with their own operating bylaws and practices;
Whereas, The development of curriculum, which includes the choice of textbooks and other course materials, is an area of faculty primacy under Title 5 §53200 and a responsibility of every community college faculty member;
Whereas, Changes to regulations governing course repeatability, the recent efforts at realigning adult education (AB 86 and AB 104, Budget Committee, 2013), the recent equalization of funding for Career Development and College Preparation (CDCP) noncredit class apportionment with credit class apportionment, the ongoing funding for student success efforts including Basic Skills, Equity, and Student Success and Support Programs, and the Recommendations of the California Community Colleges Task Force on Workforce, Job Creation, and a Strong Economy (August 14, 2015) are all resulting in an in
Whereas, California Articulation Number System (CAN) designations were typically included in college catalogs, typically in a list with the University of California Transfer Course Agreement and at the end of each course’s catalog description;
Whereas, CAN has been replaced by Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID) designations which indicate that a course outline of record is aligned to an intersegmentally developed descriptor, establishing intrasegmental articulation and often permitting inclusion in Associate Degrees for Transfer;
Whereas, The 2015-2016 community college budget included over $62.3 million to support the movement toward 75:25 and increase the hiring of new full-time faculty, and local districts and colleges are hiring new faculty;
Whereas, The proposed budget for 2016-2017 also includes money for new full time hires and making progress toward 75:25; and
Whereas, At some colleges there are no mutually agreed upon criteria to use in the decision making process for setting priorities of new hires campus-wide;