Intersegmental Issues

Whereas, Prior to the release of the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) and Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) joint guidance memo for credit English as a second language (ESL) (AA 18-41)[1], the California State University Office of the Chancellor (CSUOC) and University of California Office of the President (UCOP) announced that course approvals for California State University General Education (CSU GE) Breadth or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) would not be backdated;[2]

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has demonstrated through previous positions (Resolutions 4.01 F17, 15.01 F17) a commitment to supporting the academic goals of students who seek a baccalaureate degree by transferring to universities; 

Whereas, Long-standing issues continue to exist regarding associate degrees for transfer (AD-T) to the California State University system for both chemistry and physics transfer students, including adequate course preparation for junior-level status; and

Whereas, Both the California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC) have had systemwide minimum semester credit policies on the granting of units for Advanced Placement (AP) credit for admission purposes, which facilitates transfer by providing consistency for students on how to use external exam credit towards admission criteria;

Whereas, the UC continues to have a systemwide policy for the granting of units for AP credit for admission purposes;

Whereas, Preparing students to transfer into baccalaureate degree programs is one of the primary missions of the California community colleges;

Whereas, The majority of transfer students are transferring to either a California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) campus, and colleges must develop courses that satisfy the expectations of and articulate to both systems;

Whereas, Twenty-five of California’s 113 community colleges have been able to meet the legislative mandate to develop Associate Degrees for Transfer as required by California Education Code §66746(b), and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office requires that courses submitted for the Associate Degree for Transfer demonstrate approval from the California Course Identification Numbering (C-ID) System;

Whereas, C-ID course approval requires review by at least one discipline faculty member from both the California community colleges and the California State University;

Whereas, The Academic Senate of the California State University appointed a Quantitative Reasoning Task Force with broad representation from the California State University, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC), the California Acceleration Project (CAP), and the University of California Office of the President to address fundamental questions regarding the prerequisite content of the California State University General Education B4 (CSU GE B4) and potential pre-requisite or co-requisite content for quantitative reasoning and mathematical competency (CSU GE B4);

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, Senate Bill (SB) 1440 (Padilla, 2010) defines the Associate in Arts for Transfer and Associate in Science for Transfer Degree as having no more than 60 semester units (or 90 quarter units) eligible for transfer to the California State University (CSU) and California community colleges have missions other than just transfer;

Whereas, Senate Bill (SB) 1440 (Padilla, 2010) defines the Associate in Arts for Transfer and Associate in Science for Transfer degree as having no more than 60 semester units (or 90 quarter units) eligible for transfer to the California State University (CSU);

Whereas, The 60 semester units (or 90 quarter units) include a minimum of 18 semester units (or 27 quarter units) in a major or area of emphasis and an approved general education curriculum, either Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or CSU General Education Breadth Requirements;