Reaffirming the Mission and Vision of the California Community Colleges

Fall
2022
Resolution Number
07.14
 
Contact
Assigned to
5C
President
Category
General Concerns
Summary
Assigned to: 1st Resolved: 5C Co-chair
2nd Resolved: 5C Co-chair
3rd Resolved: President

Whereas, California Education Code §66010.4 section (a) notes that the “California Community Colleges shall, as a primary mission, offer academic and vocational instruction at the lower division level for both younger and older students, including those persons returning to school,” and section (3) notes that “A primary mission of the California Community Colleges is to advance California’s economic growth and global competitiveness through education, training, and services that contribute to continuous workforce improvement” [1];

Whereas, The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office recently released “Update to the Vision for Success: Reaffirming Equity in a Time of Recovery,” arguing that “community colleges are accessible and personal institutions that can [also] help students on an individual level regain their hopes and rebuild their futures” and “[t]he California Community Colleges have always been an instrument for achieving broad access to higher education,” [2] where the core vision of the California Community Colleges is to put students first;

Whereas, The California community colleges have historically demonstrated “unparalleled commitment to affordability and accessibility,” [3] and in its 2022–23 System Budget Proposal titled, “Students First: Leading California’s Equitable Recovery,” [4] noted that the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office will “ensure that colleges can function at maximum effectiveness to support the success of all students in meeting their educational goals” [5] by prioritizing college affordability, among other student-centered goals; and

Whereas, The proposed California General Education Transfer Curriculum, [6] as part of the implementation of AB 928 (Berman, 2021),[7] creates a singular lower-division general education pathway for students enrolled in higher education in California, potentially eliminating choices in Lifelong Learning and Self-Development and Language Other Than English, thereby striking at the core mission of the California Community Colleges by reducing student access and steering students away from courses that they would otherwise complete at the community colleges;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges work with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the California Community Colleges Board of Governors to reaffirm its mission and values, vowing to put students first;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges work with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and California Community Colleges Board of Governors to ensure that California community colleges provide access to students, particularly as it relates to Lifelong Learning and Self-Development and Language Other Than English; and

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges call upon the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the Intersegmental Committee of the Academic Senates to recognize the benefits of the community colleges, including their relative affordability, and work to preserve open access to students at the California community colleges.

ACCLAMATION


[1] California Education Code §66010.4: https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/education-code/edc-sect-66010-4.html.
[2] Update to the Vision for Success: Reaffirming Equity in a Time of Recovery (July 2021, pg. 5) https://www.cccco.edu/-/media/CCCCO-Website/Reports/vision-for-success-update-2021-a11y.pdf.
[3] Ibid, pg. 10.
[4] Students First Leading California’s Equitable Recovery: 2022-23 System Budget Proposal (September 2021). https://www.cccco.edu/-/media/CCCCO-Website/College-Finance-and-Facilities/Budget-News/September-2021/2022-23-System-Budget-Request_For-BOG-Approval-V2.pdf?la=en&hash=3C80202CA5CA33709515A814A38679200A386CEF.
[5] Ibid, p.5.
[6] Proposed CalGETC Pathway located on the ASCCC website at https://asccc.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-09%20at%204.07.52%20PM.png.
[7] AB 928 (Berman, 2021): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB928.