Curriculum

Whereas, Many California community colleges delay the granting of credit for articulated career technical education high school courses for which credit has been earned through credit by exam (CBE) until the student has completed a minimum number of units at the community college, even though national research suggests that the students who do not immediately receive the credit they earned while still in high school never end up taking advantage of the credit, so the intended benefits of completing an articulated course are lost;

Whereas, The California Community College Chancellor’s Office based upon the passage of SB 1440 has set Associate in Arts for Transfer and Associate in Science for Transfer degree completion goals;

Whereas, California community college campuses are mandated to rapidly develop and implement Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) to improve student transfer completion and to streamline the transfer process;

Whereas, Accountability measures are attached to educational funding, such as the Senate Bill 361 (2008) noncredit Career Development and College Preparation (CDCP) funding and both credit and noncredit Basic Skills Initiative funding;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges adopted the paper Program Discontinuance: A Faculty Perspective in Spring 1998;

Whereas, Curriculum and student success are areas where the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has professional responsibility;

Whereas, Approximately 50% of California's community colleges that responded to surveys about placing Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) on the Course Outline of Record (COR) reported their decision not to include SLOs on the COR, while other colleges either did not respond or have not decided; and

Whereas, Underprepared students are not able to read, write, or complete quantitative analysis necessary for transfer or collegiate level courses, yet are enrolled in these courses due to the absence of prerequisites and lack of mandated placement;

Whereas, Basic Skills as a Foundation for Student Success in California Community Colleges (2007) summarizes the research confirming that alignment of entry/exit skills and careful organization of instruction is essential to student success;

Whereas, Serious academic and proprietary concerns have been raised regarding massive open online courses (MOOCs) including:

Whereas, Online learning is a mode of instruction that has become commonplace in our community colleges and some colleges now offer degrees exclusively online;

Whereas, Students may not have the time management skills needed to succeed in an online class or section, may have unrealistic expectations about online education, and may lack the basic technological skills required to succeed in a college online class or section;

Whereas, A conjoint program is defined as “a credit program (degree or certificate) or noncredit program that is offered collaboratively by two or more colleges, whether in the same or different districts (but usually within the same geographical region) … and each college participating in a conjoint program receives authorization to award the certificate or degree1“;

Whereas, Faculty develop curriculum designed to best serve the educational needs of students and fully intend to offer the courses necessary for students to expeditiously meet their educational goals;

Whereas, Community colleges strive to develop class schedules that allow students to complete basic skills classes, obtain degrees and certificates, and transfer to four-year universities, all within a timely manner;