Whereas, The 2018 California Budget Trailer Bill created the California Online Community College and named the California Community Colleges Board of Governors as the governing board for this new entity;
Whereas, While Title 5 §53203 mandates that local governing boards “will consult collegially with the academic senate when adopting policies and procedures on academic and professional matters,” including program development and curricular decisions, and California Education Code §70902 establishes “the right of academic senates to assume primary responsibility for making recommendations in the areas of curriculum and academic standards,” and Education Code §§87610.1 (a), 87663 (f), and 87743.2 require consultation with a local academic senate regarding the negotiation of contract language regarding faculty evaluation and faculty service areas, the California Online Community College has moved forward with decisions on program development, curriculum, and other matters in the absence of an established faculty body or a local academic senate with which to consult;
Whereas, Education Code §75007 states that the California Online Community College will aim to achieve accreditation candidacy by April 1, 2022 and full accreditation by April 1, 2025, yet Education Code §75009 states that the California Online Community College will “plan to be enrolling students by the last quarter of 2019,” creating a situation in which students will be enrolling in unaccredited coursework with no guarantee of its value in terms of academic credibility, articulation, or financial aid; and
Whereas, The California Community Colleges system, as of November 1, 2018, is comprised of 114 accredited colleges, and the system has never included centers or colleges awaiting accreditation in its numbers, yet the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office has initiated the practice of referring to the system as consisting of 115 colleges even though the structures and standards for the California Online Community College and its consistency with the 114 existing colleges in the system have yet to be established;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to reconsider its practice of referring to the California Online Community College as the 115th college or to the system as having 115 colleges until such time that the California Online Community College receives full accreditation;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges remind the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the California Community Colleges Board of Governors that the California Online Community College is not and should not be exempted from the standards and requirements that apply to the existing 114 colleges in the system; and
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges work with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the California Community Colleges Board of Governors to address and resolve all outstanding issues as well as issues that may arise with the California Online Community College in such ways that ensure the appropriate recognition of academic senate purview and faculty voice and that ensure that all established system-wide procedures and requirements are respected.
Acclamation