2018

This paper is the first issue of the Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) Symposium Collective Works publication, devoted to summaries of the presentations that took place at the 2018 symposium. The fifth annual SLO Symposium started with a keynote delivered by Dr. Gianina Baker from the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA). Dr. Baker’s address offered a unique bird’s eye view of the state of the student learning assessment in the country.

Since the time that the first fully online course was taught in the California Community Colleges more than twenty years ago, the educational landscape has changed dramatically.

Whereas, Representatives of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office have recently claimed publicly that Legal Opinion L 03-28 [1], which deems single-course equivalency illegal, could be reversed as a means to meet the Strong Workforce Program goal to increase the numbers of industry experts serving as Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructors, a reversal which is contrary to the established Academic Senate for California Community Colleges position in opposition to single-course equivalency as established by its adoption of Resolution 10.09 S02;

Whereas, Concern that lack of collegiality has negatively impacted the morale and health of faculty leading to collective bargaining agreement provisions allowing for investigation and mediation to resolve non-collegiality issues;

Whereas, Education Code §70902 (b)(7) ensures the right of academic senates to assume primary responsibility for making recommendations in the areas of curriculum and academic standards;

Whereas, Title 5 §53200 includes grading policies and standards or policies regarding student preparation and success as areas in which a college district must rely primarily or reach mutual agreement with the local academic senate based on local policy;

Whereas, The AB 705 (Irwin, 2017) requirement that community colleges maximize the probability that students complete transfer-level English and math courses by the end of their first year has resulted in several reforms to address developmental education needs of many students who will be placed in these courses;

Whereas, “Effective participation” means that all stakeholders must be afforded an opportunity to review and comment upon recommendations, proposals, and other matters and to participate effectively in discussions of academic and professional matters delineated in Title 5;

Whereas, Career Development and College Preparation noncredit courses that are part of approved noncredit certificates are eligible for apportionment at the same apportionment rate as credit courses; and

Whereas, Career Development and College Preparation noncredit courses provide valuable opportunities that prepare students who are unprepared or underprepared for college-level coursework for entry into the workforce, and provide onramps into credit certificate and degree programs;

Whereas, Both the California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC) have had systemwide minimum semester credit policies on the granting of units for Advanced Placement (AP) credit for admission purposes, which facilitates transfer by providing consistency for students on how to use external exam credit towards admission criteria;

Whereas, the UC continues to have a systemwide policy for the granting of units for AP credit for admission purposes;

Whereas, It is critical to assess the impact of AB 705 (Irwin, 2017);

Whereas, AB 705 (Irwin, 2017) is mandated to be implemented within the entire California Community College system; and

Whereas, The implementation of AB 705 (Irwin, 2017) is an academic and professional matter impacting curriculum, prerequisites, and educational planning under the purview of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges;