1994

Whereas adult basic education (ABE) and providing instruction in English as a second language (ESL) are essential and important functions of California Community Colleges, and

Whereas the providing of ABE and ESL has placed community colleges and secondary school districts in a competitive situation in providing such education, and

Whereas the Commission on Innovation report Choosing the Future: An Action Agenda for Community Colleges in Recommendation 1, Strategy 5, states, "Undertake a major review of the State's Adult Basic Education and ESL programs,"

Whereas the California Community Colleges are a large and effective provider of vocational-technical training and provide a lower division education of sufficient quality that the performance of its transfer students equals or exceeds that of native students at the California State University and University of California, and

Whereas the California Community Colleges provide the most effective access of historically underrepresented minorities to higher education, enrolling one of every eight such students in the United States, and

Whereas many California Community Colleges have successful contract education programs which provide instructional services to employees and businesses in local communities, and

Whereas the development and operation of such contract education programs do not always involve faculty to the same extent as in regular educational programs, and

Resolved that the Academic Senate, in support of adequate funding for learning resources and innovative technology, recommend to local senates (a) that they be fully informed of learning resources/innovative technology budgets on their campuses and support adequate funding as appropriate and (b) be aware of the members of the accrediting team visiting their college and consider requesting that a learning resource/innovative technology specialist be included if appropriate to meet college concerns.

Whereas K-l2 has a mechanism to supplement shortfalls from property tax, and

Whereas community colleges have an inequitable fiscal burden as a result of property tax shortfalls, and

Whereas at the request of California Community Colleges, Assembly member Jack O'Connell has introduced AB 3474 which will require the State of California to automatically increase the general fund allocation to community colleges corresponding to any shortfalls in property taxes, and

Whereas many citizens require job retraining because of the present downturn in the California economy, and

Whereas the present fee structure of the California Community Colleges has caused a curtailment of retraining opportunities for Bachelor's Degree holders, and

Whereas the differential fee structure represents discrimination against a sector of the educationally needy and a de facto discrimination against older students,

Whereas many instructional programs which require state-of-the art equipment to provide adequate instruction are working with equipment which is out of date, and

Whereas there has been no categorical state funding for instructional equipment in five years, and

Whereas capital funding through budget change proposals does not provide adequate funding for instructional equipment , and

Whereas funding through the Instructional Support Services category of Program Based Funding has been reduced by the state from 57% to 54% of the level needed by community colleges,

Whereas SB 1849 would require the trustees to direct the Chancellor of the CSU to conduct a study of the CSU teacher preparation programs to assess the extent to which those programs prepare candidates for teaching credentials to teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills to K-8 pupils, and

Whereas the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges supports critical thinking instruction in K-8 which could contribute to better college/university preparedness,

Resolved that the Academic Senate support the concepts in SB 1849 as of April 7, 1994.

Whereas SB 1672 threatens access and transferability of non-UC eligible community college students in favor of UC-eligible community college students,

Resolved that the Academic Senate support the concepts in SB 1672 only if amended to include funding necessary to assure no dislocation of non-UC eligible community college students.

Whereas a CPEC Ad Hoc Committee on the Financing and Future of California Higher Education has drafted a paper entitled Promoting More Productive Use of the High School Years, and

Whereas this strategy appears to advance a national discussion regarding the development of a three-year Bachelor's Degree, and

Whereas advanced placement courses in high schools and their acceptance in California higher education institutions play an important role in this discussion,