David Morse

David Morse served as ASCCC President from 2014 to 2016.  Prior to his two terms as president, David was a member of the ASCCC Executive Committee for five years as south representative, secretary, and vice-president.

David came into the pDavid Morseresidency during a time of some turmoil for the Academic Senate, as the Executive Committee was deeply divided by differences in philosophy and approach.  David’s first and most important task was therefore to reunite the Executive Committee and the Academic Senate as a whole into a cohesive and effective body.  With the invaluable assistance of Vice-president Julie Bruno and Executive Director Julie Adams, and through close communication and collaboration among all members of the Executive Committee, the ASCCC was quickly able to bring together its divisions and move forward to once again become the productive organization it had previously been.  One visible result of this reestablished collaborative spirit was the development and approval of the ASCCC’s first new strategic plan in over a decade.

The Academic Senate was faced with a wide variety of issues during David’s time as president. Statewide initiatives on online education, common assessment, educational planning, and open educational resources required an enormous commitment in terms of time and energy from the ASCCC.  A new contract and working relationship regarding the Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID) involved difficult negotiations with the Chancellor’s Office and with other institutions.  The CCC Task Force on Workforce, Job Creation, and a Strong Economy brought long-overdue attention to career-technical education but also led to some tense discussions with other constituent groups as well as with industry leaders from outside the system.  Adult Education Consortia established by Assembly Bill 86 (2013), which brought together adult education providers from various segments of California’s educational system, raised the need for repeated insistence on the importance of the community college faculty voice in all discussions.  The development and creation of the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative and the Success Center for California Community Colleges were system level initiatives in which the ASCCC played a leading role.

Among the issues to which David was most personally and directly committed as president were equity and diversity, as David played a strong role in the development of new metrics for EEO funding during meetings of the Chancellor’s Office EEO Advisory Committee, and establishing a stronger faculty voice regarding legislation.  During David’s presidency, the ASCCC filed 15 position letters involving various pieces of legislation, worked directly with the legislature on several bills, and established the ASCCC Legislative Updates Webpage to keep faculty informed of ASCCC activities in this area. In Spring 2016 the ASCCC conducted its first ever legislative visit day at the state capitol.

David’s other strong focus during his presidency was on the creation and growth of positive relationships with other organizations and individuals.  David and other ASCCC leaders were invited to present numerous times at conferences for the Community College League of California, the Association of California Community College Administrators, the Faculty Association for California Community Colleges, and various other groups.  David’s presidency culminated in Spring 2016 with a joint mega-conference presented by the ASCCC, the Chief Instructional Officers organization, the Chief Student Services Officers organization, and the California Community Colleges Association of Occupational Education.  In addition, the Academic Senate was able to establish direct links and ongoing communication with the Governor’s Office, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the Department of Finance, and the offices of several individual legislators, all of which served to increase the voice and influence of the ASCCC in statewide policy discussions.

David has now returned to his position as a faculty member at Long Beach City College. He can be reached at dmorse [at] lbcc.edu.