2018

Metric Fatigue: Reforming Metrics to Facilitate Meaningful Institutional Dialog

In the ever-expanding desire for data-driven discussion and accountability, every new initiative tied to funding has produced another set of metrics to measure our colleges’ effectiveness.  The Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI) work group on indicators counted 86 distinct metrics used throughout our system as required by the Strong Workforce Program, Student Equity, Student Success and Support Program (SSSP), Basic Skills, Chancellor’s Office accountability measures and system goals, and IEPI indicators, each that can be disaggregated by equity measures.  While it is

Faculty Hiring Processes

When faculty are asked about their most important roles on campus, responsibilities such as curriculum, teaching, and mentorship are most likely to be mentioned.  An area that can be overlooked, but that should be on the minds of faculty throughout the year, is the role of faculty in hiring, particularly since there have been significant changes in the past three years around hiring in the California Community College system.

The Importance of Major Preparation

A primary mission of the California community colleges is to meet the needs of our transfer students.  It is our responsibility to remove barriers that may interfere with the transfer process and create a clear pathway for our students. When creating successful pathways, colleges must create courses that meet the major preparation requirements expected by transfer institutions, ensure those courses are accessible to our students, and offered in a way that will allow them to complete their program of study in a timely manner.

Updates on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Efforts

On September 5, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his administration’s intent to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was put into place in 2012 by President Barack Obama.  The administration announced that the program would end on March 5, 2018, with individual DACA recipients being allowed to stay through their allowed time (up to two years) past that date.

Apprenticeships and the Faculty Purview

Apprenticeship programs are partnerships between a college and a program sponsor, usually a trade union or employer. The college provides the apprentice with credit or noncredit courses in a vocational field, which are combined with on-the-job training provided by the sponsor. Upon completion of the program, the apprentice becomes a journeyman or other rank within the trade.

Building a New Road: Faculty Participation on Peer Review Teams for Accreditation

Accreditation is an assurance to the public that an educational institution is meeting or exceeding acceptable levels of quality. In particular, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), the regional accreditor for California community colleges, encourages and supports institutions to improve academic quality, institutional effectiveness, and student success through a process of review by higher education professionals and public members.

Honoring Student Voice: Ensuring Students’ Effective Participation in Governance

Students are, and should be, the primary and central motivation for our work as educators. Everything we do, from academics and instruction, to support services, is focused on the success of students.  Most, if not all, of the initiatives and programs California community colleges have developed in the past few years have a clearly defined purpose in serving students.

Local Senate Succession Planning: Some Considerations

Unless your local senate has procedures in place for selecting a new president automatically (i.e., a president-elect, or a bylaw or constitutional requirement that the vice president becomes the president automatically), succession planning is integral to being a senate president. Yet, succession planning can be one of the more difficult things for a senate president, especially a new senate president, to begin considering.

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