2009

Whereas, Underprepared students are not able to read, write, or complete quantitative analysis necessary for transfer or collegiate level courses, yet are enrolled in these courses due to the absence of prerequisites and lack of mandated placement;

Whereas, Basic Skills as a Foundation for Student Success in California Community Colleges (2007) summarizes the research confirming that alignment of entry/exit skills and careful organization of instruction is essential to student success;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges is consistent in its unflagging efforts for student success for all students and has a long-standing tradition of support for underrepresented minority students in the State of California;

Whereas, Each community college's support of the psychological health of every student in the California community colleges is important;

Whereas, The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) states in its bylaws that its purpose is to assure "that an institution has clearly defined objectives appropriate to higher education; has established conditions under which their achievement can reasonably be expected; appears in fact to be accomplishing them substantially; is so organized, staffed, and supported that it can be expected to continue to do so;"

Whereas, Faculty play an essential role in describing the appropriate contexts for interpreting student success data;

Whereas, According to AB 1725, student success, along with curriculum, program review, and assessment, comes under the purview of faculty; and

Whereas, The Senate has worked with the Research and Planning Group to develop the Student Success Conference and other activities assisting faculty with assessment, research, student learning outcomes, and understanding data;

Whereas, The document “The Accelerated Learning College: A Proposal for California Community Colleges,” dated April 16, 2009, is a proposal by several California community college presidents that seeks “relief from legislative and regulatory requirements” and outlines changes that are inconsistent with established Academic Senate positions in the functioning of a select group of pilot colleges;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges is one of many officially recognized stakeholders responsible for developing and recommending policy and practices for California community colleges;

Whereas, The Consultation Council, as the statewide version of a local participatory governance council, provides the vehicle which all constituent groups have committed to use for statewide governance discussions to make recommendations to the Chancellor;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges continues to work with the Chancellor’s Office and with our intersegmental partners through the Intersegmental Committee of Academic Senates (ICAS) to implement the Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID) that would accomplish these major objectives: (1) Respond to legislative mandates to create a course numbering system for individual courses, course sequences, and patterns of courses to serve intersegmental needs; (2) Rely upon intersegmental, disciplinary faculty from University of California (UC), California State Univ

Whereas, Local senates will be empowered by a greater knowledge of budget processes; and

Whereas, A brief and clearly expressed primer regarding budget issues and language would allow new senate presidents to perform better in the participatory governance process with regards to budget decisions;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges adopt the paper Budget Considerations: A Primer for Senate Leaders;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges and the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) have recognized the need for faculty participation on the ACCJC visiting teams;

Whereas, Resolution 2.04 F04 asserts the faculty desire to participate on visiting teams and asks that the ACCJC "ensure that faculty comprise a minimum of 25% of the site visiting teams";

Whereas, There still is no consistent process to assure all visiting teams include faculty; and

Whereas, Previously the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges provided faculty names to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) for accreditation visiting teams while the current practice of obtaining faculty names includes an online self-nomination process or a recommendation from the college president;