2010

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges represents all faculty currently teaching in our California community colleges, serving as the voice of all faculty in academic and professional matters;

Whereas, The Academic Senate strengthens and supports all local California community college academic senates, many of which currently have part-time faculty designated seats and/or representatives, and supports diversity and equal opportunity for all faculty; and

Whereas, The ever-rising cost of textbooks has become a serious, ongoing problem for the students in the California Community College System;

Whereas, Implementation of H.R. 4127 (2010) will require colleges and faculty to provide detailed information on textbooks on their Internet and printed class schedules and in their bookstores so that students will be able to secure less expensive textbooks for their classes or rent them;

Whereas, Deep state budget cuts in education have necessitated many community colleges to cut their budgets in waves of 2%, 4%, and even 6%, which has often resulted in a comparable reduction in course sections offered;

Whereas, Both the University of California and the California State University systems have also had reductions in their budgets, causing them to raise entrance requirements and reduce enrollment, which has displaced many of their traditional students, who have since sought enrollment in the community colleges; and

Whereas, The Chancellor’s Office sent a memo, dated January 22, 2010, which stated,

Whereas, The significant role counseling faculty play in the success of students has been reinforced in numerous research based documents such as Basic Skills as a Foundation for Student Success in California Community Colleges (Center for Student Success, 2007), Facilitating Community College Transfer: A Master Plan Mandate, (Intersegmental Committee of Academic Senates, Spring 2009), Community College Transfer Task Force: Findings and Recommendations Aimed at Strengthening the Community College Transfer Process (Intersegmental Task Force, September 2009), Californ

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has adopted numerous resolutions which addressed the distinction between counseling faculty and paraprofessionals (including 8.01 S98; 8.02 S99; 8.01 S01), beginning with Resolution 15.1 F93, which affirmed the distinct professional role and function of counseling faculty, who meet minimum qualifications leading to counseling knowledge, competencies, and skills, and affirmed that the role and function of counseling faculty is distinct from paraprofessionals;

Whereas, The crisis in the California State budget and its implications for the California Community College System has considerably reduced funding to colleges for programs and support services to students and is currently threatening to close or reduce services at many campus child development lab-schools and children’s centers;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has adopted at least eight resolutions expressing concerns about the processes followed by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) since 2007 and has communicated its concerns both independently and through a 2009-2010 Consultation Task Group on Accreditation;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has difficulty recruiting faculty statewide for involvement in Academic Senate committees and leadership positions due to a general lack of knowledge of the work of these committees;

Whereas, The work of various committees is specialized, and each committee has its own unique areas of responsibility that may not be apparent to those faculty who may be interested in participating;

Whereas, Some faculty perceive the existence of barriers to involvement in the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges and its committees and may not volunteer for service due to mistaken beliefs about who should and should not seek to serve at the state level;