Student Record Currency

Fall
2006
Resolution Number
09.10
 
Contact
Assigned to
Curriculum Committee
Category
Curriculum
Status
Completed
Summary
Investigate the issue of coursework recency as it pertains to both the granting of a degree and/or certificate and to the application of any prerequisites needed to enter required courses for a degree and/or certificate; provide best practices information to local senates and curriculum committees that would enable them to develop mechanisms to ensure the current value of the degrees and/or certificates they award regardless of how long a student has taken to earn the degree and/or certificate.
Status Report

Unfeasible. The Committee has found evidence to suggest that course recency is an issue, but there are no currently supportive means to address this issue. The issues are very diverse depending upon the discipline and the desired student outcomes.

Whereas, The conferring of an associate's degree and/or a certificate may occur many years after a student began his/her program of study for that degree and/or certificate;

Whereas, The skills and knowledge required by many disciplines and programs of study can change rapidly even over a very brief time period and, thus, may call into question the value of such skills and knowledge imparted to students who have taken many years to complete a degree and/or certificate;

Whereas, There appears to be little consensus about or understanding of the issues related to course recency with respect to students' local coursework and their coursework from other institutions they may have attended, particularly in regards to best practices for implementing and maintaining such currency requirements; and

Whereas, There are a number of programs where course recency is relevant and germane to the quality and rigor of the degrees conferred by California community colleges, particularly where the lack of currency could significantly impact student success upon the awarding of a degree and/or certificate;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges investigate the issue of coursework recency as it pertains to both the granting of a degree and/or certificate and to the application of any prerequisites needed to enter required courses for a degree and/or certificate; and

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges provide best practices information to local senates and curriculum committees that would enable them to develop mechanisms to ensure the current value of the degrees and/or certificates they award regardless of how long a student has taken to earn the degree and/or certificate. MSC Disposition: Local Senates