Whereas, AB 1460 (Weber, 2020) required the California State University to institute, “as an undergraduate graduation requirement, the completion of, at minimum, one 3-unit course in ethnic studies, as specified” [1];
Whereas, California community colleges are the custodians of the California State University General Education Breadth pattern [2] and annually submit course proposals to the California State University Chancellor’s Office for Ethnic Studies Area F inclusion, a requirement students can fulfill by completing a 3-unit course;
Whereas, The implementation of AB 1460 (Weber, 2020) [3] by the California State University Chancellor’s Office resulted in an inconsistent and flawed process for California State University General Education Breadth Ethnic Studies Area F review of the four disciplines which make up Ethnic Studies; and
Whereas, Numerous approvals and denials of California community college (CCC) courses proposed for Ethnic Studies Area F inclusion occurred due to a discrepancy between the information from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) and the California State University General Education Breadth Ethnic Studies Area F policy in the June 29, 2022 memorandum stating CSU GE-B Requirements indicates “courses that are approved to meet this requirement shall meet at least 3 of the 5 the [sic] following core competencies,” [4] whereas the CCCCO June 29, 2022 memorandum ESS 22-300-011, titled “Ethnic Studies Course Certification for CSU GE Breadth Area F,” under the header “Guidance for Effective Ethnic Studies Course Approval” indicates “the ethnic studies core competencies (at least 3 of 5) must be listed (verbatim) within the Course Outline of Record (COR) as stated in CSU GE Breadth Policy” [5];
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges partner with the California State University Chancellor’s Office, California Community College Ethnic Studies Faculty Council, and the California State University Council on Ethnic Studies to work toward establishing a well-structured, equitable Ethnic Studies Area F review process with integrity, appropriate guidelines, timelines, and qualified reviewers from the California State University and the California Community Colleges in each of the four ethnic studies disciplines; and
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges partner with the California State University Chancellor’s Office and the California Community Colleges Ethnic Studies Faculty Council to facilitate Ethnic Studies Area F reviewer training to ensure the appropriate awareness of and adherence to the law, policies, and procedures, that govern the California community college curriculum, are applied during the Ethnic Studies Area F review process.
M/S/C
[1] AB 1460 (Weber, 2020): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB1460. According to AB 1460, Ethnic Studies is an interdisciplinary and comparative study of race and ethnicity with special focus on four historically defined racialized core groups: Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latina and Latino Americans.
[2] CSU GE Breadth pattern can be found at https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/why-the-csu-matters/graduation-initiative-2025/academic-preparation/pages/eo-1100-and-1110-policy-changes.aspx.
[3] AB 1460 (Weber, 2020): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB1460.
[4] CSU GE Breadth Requirements can be found in Executive Order 1100 at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/8919100/latest/#autoid-zvggy.
[5] This Chancellor’s Office memorandum was sent in email and cannot be located on the CCCCO website; see the memorandum located in ASCCC Resolutions shared folder at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g9Hbf_KP6Noh_H7h2bBFXe4npYd7h2N-/view?usp=sharing.