2020

As the California Community Colleges system strives to meet the needs of students, one important part of its mission is transfer, as this goal is the one most identified by community college students. In order to address the needs and goals of so many students, community colleges throughout the state must provide resources that can guide students through the process. Transfer should command considerable attention at community colleges for a number of reasons.

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Academic Freedom Defined

Executive Summary

Whereas, The primary function of The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges is to make recommendations with respect to academic and professional matters as defined in Title 5 §53200, which includes standards or policies regarding student preparation and success, in order to help students meet their educational goals such as earning a certificate, degree, or transfer to a baccalaureate institution;

Whereas, Faculty have both the freedom to select the course materials they deem most appropriate and the responsibility to consider the cost burden as they do so;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has promoted the goal of faculty diversity for decades [1];

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges’ paper A Re- examination of Faculty Hiring Processes and Procedures (2018) [2] promoted faculty diversity and included “the creation of ‘grow your own’ programs seeking to hire students who attended California Community Colleges” as a district measure for promoting equal employment opportunity;

Whereas, Resolution 01.03 F18 directed the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges “to provide guidance to local academic senates and faculty on safeguarding academic freedom rights and responsibilities in the current political environment, update the 1998 paper Academic Freedom and Tenure: A Faculty Perspective by spring of 2020”;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges adopt and broadly disseminate the paper Protecting the Future of Academic Freedom in a Time of Great Change. [1]

MSC

Whereas, Substantial shifts in placement, enrollment, and successful completion have been experienced as a result of both full AB 705 (Irwin, 2017) implementation and COVID-19 pandemic challenges; and