Forward to Accrediting Commission--The Commission did not accept our recommendation citing that Academic and Professional matters and primary faculty responsibilities were legislative issues. I argued that it was unfortunate that California had to legally mandate such a fundamental principle but that California's failure to recognize sound educational practices voluntarily made it no less a standard of good educational practice. In order to accomplish the direction of the resolution, I urged the commission to include language identifying faculty have "primary" responsibility for educational service..and faculty personnel. They were concerned about the private schools and their practices. The faculty members Celina Sau Lin Ing of Sacramento City College and John Bibbo of Southwestern College both did not support the collective wisdom of the faculty as represented by the Academic Senate representative. They both argued that the word primary was not necessary. After asking questions, the other faculty including Chairwoman Decker, Leon Baradat, and Jack Hernandez spoke in support of the proposed changed offered by Regina on behalf of the Senate.
Whereas in the proposed Accreditation standards the standards relating to the faculty role in governance have been reduced from seven lines in the old Standard Eight to three lines in the new Standard Ten, and
Whereas this reduction to references regarding the faculty role in governance has resulted in the elimination of the words:" This faculty organization [an academic senate] is able to carry on its responsibilities for academic and professional matters at the college...", and
Whereas resolution 2.2 F95 specifically asked that the words "academic and professional matters" be restored to the standards, but this restoration has not yet occurred,
Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges recommend to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges that the proposed new accreditation standard, Standard 10 B.7, include the following underlined portion from the old Standard 8D.1:
"Faculty have established an academic senate or appropriate organization for providing input regarding institutional governance. This faculty organization is able to carry on its responsibilities for academic and professional matters at the college. In the case of private colleges the institution has a formal process for providing input regarding institutional governance."
M/S/U Disposition: Accrediting Commission, Executive Committee, Local Senates