Whereas, Ethnic studies curriculum is essential to the holistic development and educational experiences of California community college (CCC) students, and a growing number of California community colleges are developing courses in the four core autonomous disciplines collectively referred to as ethnic studies;
Whereas, AB 1460 (Weber, 2020) required the California State University to institute, “as an undergraduate graduation requirement, the completion of, at minimum, one 3-unit course in ethnic studies, as specified” [1];
Whereas, The Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act of 2021, AB 928 (Berman, 2022) requires that “a singular lower division general education pathway,” [1] be established to be used by California community college students intending to transfer to either the California State University or the University of California, which replaces the current California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-B) and Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) general education patterns effective in the 2025–2026 academic year, and the pro
Whereas, AB 928 (Berman, 2021) requires the Intersegmental Committee of Academic Senates establish a “singular lower division general education pathway that meets the academic requirements necessary for transfer admission to both the California State University and University of California” [2] by May 31, 2023;
Whereas, A safe and welcoming academic environment in the classroom and learning spaces is essential for student engagement, dialogue, and success;
Whereas, The politically-charged climate in California and across the nation as a whole has encouraged subjective and often aggressive responses, especially to conversations and efforts around anti-racism and equity, including in classrooms where such responses are more often targeted at women of color, disrupt teaching, and threaten safe classroom environments and learning spaces;
Whereas, Multiple reports indicate that, since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused learning loss and educational disruption that has resulted in alarming declines in K-12 student mathematics and English scores, chronic absenteeism, lack of student engagement, and mental health challenges, negatively affecting student success and exacerbating longstanding equity gaps [1] ;
Whereas, On October 6, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 927 (Medina, 2021) [1] authorizing the California community colleges to extend the operation of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program indefinitely and authorize the California Community Colleges Board of Governors to establish up to 30 baccalaureate degree programs annually;
Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges encourages local academic senates to establish mechanisms to encourage faculty to consider open educational resources (OER) when developing or revising courses and to document the use of OER on the course outline of record (Resolution S19 09.05 [1]);
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 current system of attendance accounting is exceedingly complex and rooted in outdated concepts of seat time inherited from procedures established when the California community colleges were part of the K-14 system;
Whereas, The complexities and intricacies of the current attendance accounting system have the effect of suppressing creative course scheduling in response to the needs of California’s diverse student population, especially as colleges emerge from the COVID-19 global pandemic;