Academic Senate

Whereas, Marty Hittelman has contributed greatly to the success of the Academic Senate over the past decade;

Whereas, Marty has selflessly shared his expertise on budget and legal issues with California community colleges and individual faculty;

Whereas, Marty has provided invaluable insight at plenary sessions regarding the political consequences of proposed positions; and

Whereas, Marty has been elected as the new president of the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) and is the first community college faculty member to hold that position;

Whereas, Formally stating and assessing student learning outcomes (SLOs) is required by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) 2002 Accreditation Standards, and SLOs and assessment have curricular and program implications clearly defined as an area of faculty responsibility in AB 1725 (1988);

Whereas, Beverly Shue has faithfully and effectively served the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges as Secretary, Curriculum Chair, Professional Development Chair, South Representative, and as an expert resource to the System Office or on special assignments and task forces;

Whereas, Beverly Shue has served the Academic Senate of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) as President, Vice President, mentor, and valued resource; and

Whereas, Leon Baradat has given of himself in time and energy and many years of service to the betterment of the California community college system as President of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, in addition to service in the top leadership position of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC) and Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC);

Whereas, Mike McHargue has been an active member of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges since the spring of 1982, having served on such committees as Education Policies, Counseling and Library Faculty Issues Committee, and Faculty Development;

Whereas, Mike McHargue was a presenter at more than 20 plenary breakout sessions on topics ranging from staff development to basic skills and served on the Academic Senate Executive Committee as the Area B representative for one year, with distinction and aplomb;

Whereas, California's fiscal crisis requires active lobbying and thus an active presence in Sacramento to protect and promote interests vital to California Community Colleges;

Whereas, The Academic Senate currently holds its plenary sessions in varying locations throughout the state; and

Whereas, Meeting facilities in Sacramento are now adequate to host a plenary session;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges consider the viability of holding Spring Plenary Sessions in Sacramento when they occur in Northern California.

Whereas, Few colleges are hiring new full- or part-time faculty during this budget downturn, which gives faculty a chance to re-evaluate hiring practices, attitudes, and training for hiring committees;

Whereas, Providing excellent professional development opportunities that have been jointly developed by faculty, human resource directors, and other administrators should be a common goal prior to when districts return to hiring more faculty; and

Whereas, An effective community college education prepares students to learn about working and living in a diverse world as global citizens, and as faculty we should hold ourselves to the same standard to which we hold our students;

Whereas, Cultural competence is a skill set that makes one effective in working in diverse environments and teaching diverse students, and faculty who make progress toward becoming culturally competent should positively affect the success of students;

Whereas, California community college part-time faculty are invaluable partners in ensuring student success by providing high quality instruction and dedication to their profession;
Whereas, California community college part-time faculty contribute significantly to campus enrichment through activities such as serving on committees and as faculty advisors and participating in departmental, divisional, and campus-wide activities such as curriculum development, assessment, and program review; and

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges promotes the use of appropriate technology in the classroom; and
Whereas, The election of members of the Executive Committee can take a disproportionate amount of time;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges explore the use of appropriate technology to expedite the election process and report no later than the Fall 2011 Plenary Session.
MSC Disposition: Local Senates