Reaffirm the Need for Information Competency

Fall
2006
Resolution Number
09.03
 
Contact
Assigned to
Curriculum Committee
Category
Curriculum
Status
Completed
Status Report

Shawna Hellenius of CRC did such a survey for her sabbatical project, and a summary of her project is being published in the Rostrum, with a link to her full report.

Whereas, The Academic Senate adopted the paper entitled Information Competency in the California Community Colleges that formulated the definition of information competency, which includes the following skills: State a research question, problem, or issue.
Determine information requirements in various disciplines for the research questions, problems, or issues.
Use information technology tools to locate and retrieve relevant information.
Communicate using a variety of information technologies.
Understand the ethical and legal issues surrounding information and information technologies.
Apply the skills gained in information competency to enable lifelong learning.

Whereas, The Academic Senate recommended a graduation information competency requirement to the Board of Governors but the Department of Finance of the State of California stopped the passage of an information competency regulation, claiming that this recommendation would result in an unfunded mandate;

Whereas, The Academic Senate urged local senates, in resolution 9.01 F02, to pursue information competency requirements on their own campuses to ensure that California community college students are appropriately prepared to function in this information and accreditation era; and

Whereas, Employers today demand that workers have the academic and technical ability to access information using a wide variety of resources, and to think critically;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges reaffirm its support for information competency for associates degrees;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges conduct a survey of the certificate and degree programs in California community colleges to determine which information competency requirements have been implemented by which colleges; and

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges work with local senates to encourage more colleges to require information competency for associate degrees and certificates. MSC Disposition: Local Senates