California Articulation Number System (CAN): Toward Increased Faculty Participation

Spring
1998
Topic
Articulation and Transfer
Committee
Educational Policies Committee

This paper responds to plenary session resolutions directing the Academic Senate Executive Committee to prepare a background paper regarding faculty participation, evaluation and funding of the California Articulation Number (CAN) system.

The paper explores the background and purpose of CAN, examines the CAN-ing process, describes the criteria to qualify courses, discusses faculty participation and identifies systemwide issues in the evaluation and funding of the project.

Local senates should view the CAN-ing process as part of the local curriculum review / approval process and assure that there is faculty participation and oversight. This paper will assist local senates to understand the CAN process and make specific recommendations to ensure faculty and local senate involvement.

Recommendations to Local Senates

In researching the background information on the California Articulation Numbering System and evaluating the results of the accompanying survey of local college articulation practices (see Appendix C), the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges would make the following recommendations to local senates:

  1. Local Senates recognize the California Articulation Numbering process as part of the local curriculum review/approval process.
  2. Local Senates, through their curriculum processes, must ensure that the signatures of discipline faculty are on the articulation agreements when submitting courses for CAN approval (e.g., Statement of Commitment). This documentation should be provided by the colleges.
  3. As a standard of practice, the articulation function on the campus should be assumed by a faculty member with the knowledge and expertise of the curriculum.
  4. Local Senates should evaluate the amount of time needed for articulation within the college, particularly that needed to develop articulation agreements and CAN -ing of courses, to ensure that students can identify transferable courses required for access.
  5. Local Senates should ensure that the articulation officer participates in the curriculum approval process by being a resource to or serving on the curriculum committee.
Publication file