Whereas, California law (AB 620, Block 2011) requests annual transmittal of summary demographic data reporting to the legislature regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression of students, and California Education Code §66271.2 communicates a concern for obstacles faced by our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other (LGBTQIA+) students;
Whereas, The California Online Community College has been established, and Title 5 §51025 established the legislative goal for each California community college to have 75% of instruction by full-time faculty, and California Education Code §75001(b)(5) specifies that the California Online Community College use “flexible hiring processes that emphasize use of part-time and full-time faculty”;
Whereas, California Education Code §75001 establishes the California Online Community College, while §75001(d)(1) states that “the college shall create new programs that are not duplicative of programs offered at other local community colleges,” and §75001(a)(3) states that the college will serve “the vocational and educational needs of Californians who are not currently accessing higher education”;
Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has long supported and defended, in concept and in practice, the principles and tenets of academic freedom and tenure by adopting numerous resolutions, including Resolution 19.05 S96 to adopt the 1940 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom, Resolution 19.01 S98 to adopt the paper Academic Freedom and Tenure: A Faculty Perspective, and Resolution 13.03 F10 to adopt additional academic freedom policy recommendations in light of the US Supreme Court decision in Garc
Whereas, Resolution 13.02 S18 directed the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) to create a guided pathways handbook, and Resolution 13.03 S18 directed the ASCCC to conduct research on guided pathways outcomes in California; Whereas, The development of a common language, vocabulary, and a glossary of terms assists colleges with their local implementation of guided pathways; and
Whereas, The California 2018-2019 Budget created the California Online Community College, with immediate objectives to “Develop at least three program pathways by July 1, 2019, and enroll students by the last quarter of 2019”;[1]
The most important components of an academic institution are the educational programs it offers. California Education Code and accreditation standards emphasize the essential nature of a college’s educational programs to that college’s existence, and often a college’s programs reflect the individual personality of the college and the uniqueness of the community it serves.
The California Community College System offers three respected statewide awards that recognize the excellence of our faculty colleagues and their support of our students. These awards arise from nominations from local senates in recognition of their faculty and programs that exemplify the ideals of community college service to students.
California community colleges are committing to a guided pathways framework, and transformation is taking place college-wide at each campus. Across each of the major principles or pillars of guided pathways, counselors could likely attest that the strategies indicated are what they have been doing for decades in terms of helping students choose, enter, and stay on educational paths to achieve their intended outcomes.
Note: The following article is not an official statement of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. The article is intended to engender discussion and consideration by local colleges, and each college is encouraged to determine its own language for discussing equity.