Using System Consultation and Faculty Input to Address Expansion of Online Education

Fall
2017
Resolution Number
07.10
 
Assigned to
President
Category
Consultation with the Chancellor's Office
Status
Assigned

Whereas, On May 11, 2017 Governor Brown requested that Chancellor Oakley design and deploy a plan to develop a 115th college to solely offer entirely online degrees, and Chancellor Oakley contracted with National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) to constitute the Flex Learning Options for Workers (FLOW) workgroup to provide three to five options to Governor Brown;

Whereas, California already has 114 community colleges offering both online courses and, in many cases, fully online degree programs to students seeking immediate employment, transfer, or both, and the system has benefitted from the resources made available by the Online Education Initiative, @ONE, and other efforts;

Whereas, Many of the resources necessary to serve the student populations and goals envisioned by the governor and by the FLOW workgroup already exist or could be developed within the existing structure of the community college system, thus more fully ensuring that the system’s safeguards regarding academic quality are respected and maintained; and

Whereas, Program development and curriculum are academic and professional matters, and the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges and local academic senates should have opportunities for input and implementation, and additional system stakeholders, including the Chief Instructional Officers (CIOs), Chief Business Officers (CBOs), Chief Student Service Officers (CSSOs), Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Student Senate for California Community Colleges, have information and experience critical to the discussion of the best ways to accomplish the goals of the governor and the FLOW workgroup;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges work with system partners and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to relay to the governor and other interested parties that the goals of the governor and the FLOW workgroup can be better accomplished using existing resources and structures within the community college system rather than by creating a separate online college or other entity; and

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges work with system partners and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to develop a clear and effective plan for addressing the goals of the governor and the FLOW workgroup in a manner that utilizes existing system structures and ensures academic quality for all students.

Acclamation