Fall

Strengthening Leadership

Have you ever wondered if a proactive approach to committee membership is possible? For many involved in leadership and in developing leaders, it seems to be the norm to rely upon the expression of interest as the sole means of picking committee members with some back room arm twisting in those cases where no one wants to serve.

Answers Needed to Questions about Academic Dishonesty

When the Academic Senate adopted the paper Promoting and Sustaining an Institutional Climate of Academic Integrity in 2007, the hope was that within a few months Title 5 language would have been worked out to give faculty more authority over grading options when cheating has been confirmed. Faculty and representatives from the Chancellor's Office diagrammed scenarios which included due process for students as well as provided options for colleges in managing incidents of cheating, specifically the work of the Admissions and Records Offices for annotating student records.

The Never-ending Question

Although we are referred to as the California Community College System, I have long felt that this is in many ways a misnomer. Rather, I often refer to our "system" as a confederacy, given the delegation of significant authority to districts in spite of centralized funding and regulation. There is tension between these two organizational models, and the never-ending question that we constantly face is whether or not we need to become more of a system, thereby relinquishing some of the "local control" that we hold so dear.

Why We, the Faculty, Need to Own and Embrace Student Learning Outcomes: A Cautionary History and Political Lesson

A recent letter from the president of the California Federation of Teachers has asked the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) to amend two standards, stating ACCJC's apparent intrusion into collective bargaining in Standard III.A.1.c. and into academic freedom regarding syllabi in Standard II.A.6 (see http://www.cft.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=287:hit…).

A Voc/Occ/CTE Perspective at Session

A lot of things happened in November of this year-the elections, state budget crisis.and the ACADEMIC SENATE PLENARY SESSION! OK, maybe my priorities are a little skewed, but I do know the priority of this article-to let you know what Session issues might have been of particular interest to faculty in the occupational, vocational and career technical fields (I find myself using all three descriptors-sometimes in the same sentence).

Update on Implementing New Mathematics and English Requirements

In the last couple of years we have provided you with updates and background on the front page of our website (www.asccc.org) about the implementation of the new minimum English and mathematics levels for the associate degree, which were adopted by the Academic Senate in Spring 2005 and approved by the Board of Governors in September 2006. By now, the colleges that previously did not have these levels should have made the necessary adjustments to their local requirements and ensured that their college catalog for next year has been modified.

What the Heck is Basic Skills Coding About, Anyway? Or Recoding Basic Skills Courses to Track and Improve Student Success

The Basic Skills Initiative (BSI) has awakened an understanding and motivation to examine data in order to determine the effectiveness of our basic skills efforts and to guide us in improving student success based upon evidence. The Legislature requires annual publication of this data on student success and progression in the Accountability Report for Community Colleges (ARCC), so we must do it. However, beyond simple accountability, we have found the information valuable locally.

Julie's Inbox

The Academic Senate receives many requests from the field, and most of them come through the Senate Office into the inbox of our own Executive Director Julie Adams (hence the name of this column). As you might imagine these requests vary by topic, and the responses represent yet another resource to local senates. This column will share the questions and solutions offered by the President and the Executive Committee. Please send your thoughts or questions to Julie [at] asccc.org.

Dear Julie,

Disciplines List Proposals: What Do They Want to Change Now?

Every two years, the Academic Senate considers proposals to add or modify disciplines in the Disciplines List, the official listing of all the minimum qualifications for faculty in California community colleges. Ten proposals were submitted to the Senate office by the September 30, 2008, deadline, and testimony was heard on the proposals at the Fall Plenary Session in Los Angeles. The current cycle is wrapping up, and the proposed new disciplines and modifications will be submitted to the plenary session delegates in the spring.

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