2016

Introduction:

Jennifer Dorian, the faculty coordinator for Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS), serves with a focus on the diverse elements of teaching, research, and coordinating in support of students preparing for and currently enrolled in humanities courses focused on reading and writing.

In recent months, interest has increased in prior learning experience and the provisions for awarding credit for previous learning experiences.  While no decisions have been made regarding what form this credit will take, faculty should be aware of what these terms mean and how the awarding of prior learning experience credit might impact departments and colleges. 

[Note:  The following proposal was presented to the Chancellor’s Consultation Council in March 2016.  The proposal was an information item and no action was taken.  Discussions regarding possible revisions to the 50% Law and the FON will continue into the next academic year.  The proposal is reproduced here to keep local academic senates informed regarding current progress on this topic.]

When people hear the term model curriculum, they often think of the Transfer Model Curricula (TMCs) that are used to create Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADTs) at community colleges. The passage of SB1440 (Padilla, 2010) created the ADTs and implemented specific guarantees for students, including admission to a CSU campus with junior standing. Many articles have been written about TMCs and ADTs; this article, however, is not one of them.

The passage of AB 288 (Holden, 2015) on dual enrollment introduced many changes to the potential structure of dual enrollment at colleges, most of which were covered in the February 2015 Rostrum article “Dual Enrollment:  What Local Senates Need to Know.” One of the most significant changes, however, is that under the new College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) agreements colleges will be allowed to offer developmental courses in both English and math.   Under previous memorandums of understanding, instructional service agreements, and other agreements that created dual enrollmen

To say the future of the accreditation process for California’s community colleges has been unclear lately is the peak of all understatements. Yet even while the conversations swirl over what direction the community college system will take, colleges throughout the state are still working feverishly to create their self-evaluations for the upcoming cycle. A new aspect of that process for colleges that have not completed a self-evaluation under the 2014 standards is the Quality Focus Essay (QFE).

The past two years have been full of activity, challenges, and changes for the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges.  In response to healthy state budgets, legislative mandates, opportunities for innovation, and pressure from external sources, the California community colleges have embarked on or continued numerous successful initiatives: the Common Assessment Initiative, the Educational Planning Initiative, the Community College Baccalaureate Degree Pilot, the Strong Workforce Taskforce, the creation of increasing numbers of associate degrees for transfer, important work in th

Whereas, the Chancellor’s Office’s Student Equity Fact Sheet acknowledges that achievement gaps for disproportionately impacted groups are deeply influenced by systemic institutional practices in higher education, including “college and/or district accreditation, educational master planning, program review, and basic skills planning processes,” as well as “planning, budgeting, and the delivery of instruction and services”[1],[2],[3];

Whereas, The recommendations of Board of Governors Task Force on Work Force, Job Creation, and a Strong Economy not only recognized the necessity of colleges’ career technical education (CTE) programs but also the increased the necessity of CTE faculty participation in governance locally and statewide;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges recognizes the need for CTE faculty participation through resolutions and positions;