Whereas, Teaching pedagogy has shifted to best meet student learning needs, including a movement to lecturing with various technology platforms in a laboratory setting and the inclusion of laboratory-like group collaborations and peer assisted learning in lecture formats;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate explore the lab/lecture issue and the academic implications of the lab/lecture distinctions.
Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has adopted an issues paper entitled Information Competency in the California Community Colleges and formulated the definition of information competency that includes the following skills:
State a research question, problem, or issue.
Determine information requirements in various disciplines for the research questions, problems, or issues.
Use information technology tools to locate and retrieve relevant information.
Communicate using a variety of information technologies.
Whereas, California Education Code 84362(d) clearly establishes a minimum percentage of any community college district's apportionment that must be spent on "classroom instructor" salaries;
Whereas, The intent of California Education Code 84362 is to establish a minimum standard of commitment and financial support by community college districts for the quality instruction of students in the California Community Colleges;
Whereas, Counseling and library faculty are a critical link in student success, and AB 1725 clearly outlines the role of all faculty in shared governance and other related activities designed to increase all aspects of student success;
Whereas, Matriculation mandates in Title 5 Regulations outline the role and responsibilities of counseling faculty in student success and Title 5 58724 provides for minimum standards for library faculty;
Whereas, showing progress in Title 5 Regulations include counseling and library faculty in the 75/25 ratio; and
Whereas, Under Title 5 Regulations the local academic senates are authorized to name faculty representation on all task forces, committees, and other governance groups;
Whereas, SB 235 (Vasconcellos) as currently worded would transfer this vital academic senate responsibility to the local bargaining representative; and
Whereas, Some district AFT Guilds (San Diego Community College District) have already worded district agreements so that the local academic senates are now required to "recommend" faculty representation on key governance committees "to the AFT Guild";
Whereas, California Education Code 87360(b) specifies that policies for faculty hiring shall be developed and agreed upon jointly by the governing board and the academic senate;
Whereas, Twelve years have elapsed since California Education Code 87360(b) was written pursuant to AB 1725 and new district faculty hiring policies were developed through joint agreement; and
Whereas, Districts may seek to revise their existing hiring policies;
Whereas, Colleges have been encouraged to use and are using Partnership for Excellence (PFE) funds to hire for salaried positions;
Whereas, Salaried positions are eligible for annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increases; and
Whereas, PFE funds currently do not receive COLA and therefore COLA adjustments on salaries for positions funded by PFE must then come from other general fund sources;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate work with the Chancellor to seek a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for PFE funds.
Whereas, SB 235 (Vasconcellos) requires that, when a faculty or classified staff representative is to serve on a college or district task force, committee, or other governance group, the selection of that faculty or classified staff representative be made by the exclusive representative (exclusive bargaining agent) of the faculty or classified employees of that college or district; and
Whereas, Under Title 5 Regulations the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges is authorized to name faculty representation on all task forces, committees, and other governance groups;
Whereas, Many capital improvement projects on community college campuses have been selected and are on the path to final approval and implementation;
Whereas, The sudden intrusion of an energy shortage crisis into all aspects of education activity has created a heightened awareness of the need for conservation and energy efficiency; and
Whereas, We now have the opportunity to utilize the capital improvement projects as a vehicle to accomplish additional capital improvements that would promote energy efficiency;
Whereas, Current funding for California Community Colleges is far below the national average and the community colleges receives just one-half the amount of California State University (CSU) and one-fourth the amount of University of California (UC) per-student funding for undergraduate education;
Whereas, The current funding structures perpetuate an educational inequity that disproportionally impacts working people and those historically underrepresented in higher education; and