Letters were sent to all affected parties sharing the position.
Whereas proposals have been made to reduce the standards in mathematics, English and reading to require only a secondary credential to teach basic skills courses in those disciplines, and
Whereas there are many sound reasons for rejecting lowering standards from a Master's degree for teaching mathematics, English and reading courses to adult learners to less than a Master's degree, including the following facts:
1) that greater depth of knowledge in the discipline reflected by the attainment of a Master's degree allows for communicating a better understanding of principles in those disciplines,
2) that basic skills courses in our colleges are part of a sequence of courses that include those with more advanced concepts and thus even teaching the fundamental courses requires a knowledge reflected by a Master's degree, and
3) that departments in mathematics, English and reading thrive with a constituent faculty that is able to teach the full range of offerings of those departments, and
Whereas the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has adopted an official position opposing a basic skills discipline,
Resolved that the Academic Senate reaffirm its opposition to basic skills as a separate discipline or as a sub-discipline to any discipline on the Master's List for minimum qualifications, and
Resolved that the Academic Senate refuse to consider any proposed changes to the Disciplines List in its present review of the Disciplines List and subsequent reviews that would lower minimum qualifications for faculty who teach basic skills courses.