Whereas, The California Community Colleges Student Success Scorecard reports that in 2017 the gulf in completion rates for degree, certificate, or transfer within six years of entering community college was 30.1 percentage points between the group with the highest completion rate and the group with the lowest rate;
Whereas, Oral and written testimony given through the consultation process used for the review of Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and Administrators in California Community Colleges, also known as the Disciplines List, supported the following addition of the Registered Behavior Technician discipline:
Certification as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) as set by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB);
AND
Master's in behavior analysis, education, or psychology
OR
the equivalent
Whereas, Title 5 section 56048 requires, as a condition of receiving Disabled Student Program & Services (DSPS) funds, DSPS Coordinators must meet the minimum qualifications for DSPS faculty stated in Title 5 section 53414 or be academic administrators that “meet the minimum qualifications for academic administrators in Title 5 section 53420 and, in addition, have two (2) years full-time experience or the equivalent within the last four (4) years in one or more of the following fields:
Whereas, Oral and written testimony given through the consultation process used for the review of Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and Administrators in California Community Colleges, also known as the Disciplines List, supported the following addition of the Homeland Security discipline:
Master’s degree in Homeland Security, Emergency Management, Emergency Preparedness, Crisis Management, Disaster Management, or
Cybersecurity; and
Whereas, The delegates at the Fall 2017 Plenary Session approved Resolution 10.01 F17 which calls for the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges to “continue efforts to engage in sustained and respectful dialog and collaboration with the Department of Industrial Relations, the California Apprenticeship Council, and the broader apprenticeship community to provide the highest quality educational experiences in all apprenticeship programs offered by the California Community Colleges”;
Whereas, The original Disciplines List was approved in 1989, with many of the discipline minimum qualifications having remained unchanged since its original publication;
Whereas, Multiple issues with the clarity of the minimum qualifications for disciplines have arisen over time, including changes to the names of degrees, the order of degree names, punctuation issues, and the lack of consistent clarity provided for the appropriate application of the disciplines not requiring a master’s degree; and
Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community College believes that students are best served by well-qualified faculty members who exemplify the value of a well-rounded and specialized education and who act as models for students by demonstrating a breadth of general education knowledge and a depth of knowledge in a specific discipline;
Whereas, “Placing courses within disciplines” is identified within Title 5 § 53200(c)(1) as an academic and professional matter under the purview of local senates, and no exception regarding the placement of apprenticeship courses within disciplines is cited in statute or regulation;
Whereas, Local senates are responsible for identifying and recommending to local governing boards the appropriate minimum qualifications to teach courses by assigning all courses to disciplines specified in the Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and Administrators in
Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has long asserted that all faculty must exemplify what it means to be an educated person through the attainment of depth and breadth of knowledge and experience that is at least equal to the discipline-specific and general education requirements of a college degree;
Whereas, The professional experience components of the minimum qualifications for faculty in disciplines not requiring a master’s degree are identical regardless of whether or not the degree earned is in the discipline; and
Whereas, The lack of any credit from earning an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in the discipline directly related to the faculty member’s teaching assignment towards the professional experience requirement disregards the expertise gained by completing a degree in that discipline;
