Reinserting terms “Academic Senate” and “Curriculum” in Standard IV, Criterion A.4

Fall
2013
Resolution Number
02.11
R
Contact
Assigned to
President
Category
Accreditation
Status
Completed
Status Report

The resolution as shown above is the perfected resolution after incorporating amendments 2.11.01 and 2.11.02. The proposed perfected resolution was accepted by the resolution and amendment contacts. Because of the instructions given by the body when it referred the resolution and the approved amendments, and the time-sensitive nature of completing this resolution due to the impending revisions of the accreditation standards by the ACCJC, the Executive Committee approved the proposed perfected resolution and directed that the perfected resolution be posted as an adopted resolution on the Senate’s resolutions page.

I think we took our shot at this. We were not successful in getting the language we wanted. 

Whereas, For more than 20 years, Title 5 §53200(b) has recognized academic senates as “organizations whose primary function is to make recommendations with respect to academic and professional matters”, including curriculum;

Whereas, The proposed revision to Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Accreditation Standard IV, criterion A.4 (as of November 7, 2013) has completely eliminated any reference to academic senates and curriculum committees and has replaced it with the following wording:

Faculty and academic administrators, through well-defined structures and processes, have responsibility for recommendations about curriculum and student learning programs and services; and

Whereas, While the ACCJC has previously taken the position that not all states have academic senates, the primacy of faculty in determining curriculum and student learning outcomes is universal but that primacy is not clear in the proposed standard;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges to revise Standard IV, criterion A.4 to read:

Faculty, through well-defined structures and processes, including those established by state and local laws and regulations such as academic senates and curriculum committees, have primary responsibility for recommendations about curriculum and student learning programs and services with support from academic administrators as appropriate.