Educational
Policy Committee 1997 - 98
Janis
Perry, Chair, Santa Ana College,Counseling
John Nixon, Santa Ana College, CIO Representative
Linda Collins, Los Medanos College, Sociology/Humanities
Lin Marelick, Mission College, Graphic Design
Richard Rose, Santa Rosa College, Counseling
Chris Storer, DeAnza College, Philosophy
Kathy Sproles, Hartnell College, English/Basic
Skills
David Wilkerson, Santa Barbara College, Student
Senate Rep.
Ian Walton, Mission College, Mathematics
Abstract
Increased
attention has been given to program discontinuance.
Local senates have looked to the Academic Senate
for California Community Colleges for direction.
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the many
issues of program discontinuance faced by local
academic senates. The paper addresses the need
to identify key factors for developing a fair,
equitable, and faculty driven program discontinuance
process.
The
paper, developed by the Academic Senate Educational
Policies Committee, reviews the current regulation
and statute, role of local academic senates, effects
on students, the need to balance the college curriculum,
educational and budget planning issues, collective
bargaining concerns, and considerations when developing
a local model.
The
paper concludes with a set of recommendations
to local senates on the key factors for effective
participation in the program discontinuance process
and recommendations for regulation changes.
Introduction
Over
the past four years, The Academic Senate, through
resolutions, has called for increased attention
to program discontinuance. This paper focuses
on the many issues of program discontinuance faced
by local academic senates. Although college districts
are required by current regulation and statute
to develop a process for program discontinuance
and minimum criteria for the discontinuance of
occupational programs, most districts do not have
a process agreed-upon by the local academic senate
and the board. Rather, programs have been terminated
using singular approaches which have been inconsistent.
Because of the lack of agreed-upon processes,
the Academic Senate has passed two resolutions,
8.5 S94 and 9.0 S96:
S94
Program Discontinuance Policies
Whereas economic pressures are causing widespread
consideration of program elimination, and
Whereas data identifying programs eliminated and
the reasons for elimination can be useful for
development of strategies to address program elimination,
Therefore be it resolved that the Academic Senate
for California Community Colleges direct the Executive
Committee to collect data identifying programs
eliminated by individual community colleges and
the reasons(s) for elimination, and
Be it further resolved that the Academic Senate
for California community colleges direct the Executive
Committee to research program discontinuance policies
and procedures, and
Be it finally resolved that the Academic Senate
for California Community Colleges direct the Executive
Committee to develop a position paper with recommendations
concerning implementing local program discontinuance
policies.
M/S/U Disposition: Executive Committee, Chancellor's
Office, Board of Governors, Local Senates.
S96
Program Discontinuation (Submitted Fall 1995)
Whereas vocational and academic programs are sometimes
threatened with termination through faculty retirements
and economics, and
Whereas many colleges are not in compliance with
Title 5 Sections 55800 and 55810 which require
local boards to adopt procedures for program termination
and file them with the Chancellor's Office, and
Whereas UC and CSU require a system wide approval
of program termination, and
Whereas there is a need to develop clear regulations
for termination of programs,
Therefore be it resolved that the Academic Senate
for California Community Colleges direct the Executive
Committee to work with the Chancellor's Office
to develop standards and regulations for program
termination.
M/S/C Disposition: Chancellor's Office
Ideas
and recommendations contained in this document
represent a culmination of efforts to address
program discontinuance, including breakouts at
the Academic Senate Spring 1996 and Fall 1997
Plenary Sessions, draft documents initiated and
reviewed by the Educational Policies and Curriculum
Committees, discussions with California State
University (CSU) and University of California
(UC) colleagues, and review of local district
processes.
Background
and Scope
In
Spring 1996 the Academic Senate for California
Community Colleges adopted a paper entitled Program
Review: Developing a Faculty Driven Process. Although
thorough in its information and scope, the program
review paper purposely did not address issues
of program discontinuance. There has been an increasing
demand from local senates for direction from the
Academic Senate concerning program discontinuance.
A process separate from that of program review
is needed for two reasons: 1) because program
improvement is distinct from considerations of
discontinuance; and 2) because program discontinuance
is both academic and professional for academic
senates and a matter for collective bargaining.
Regulation requires that a consultation process
be developed by districts to address program discontinuance.
There are policies and procedures being used,
but most colleges do not have anything in writing
which includes faculty participation, therefore
information concerning these processes is not
readily available to faculty. Of those districts
that do have these policies in writing, the Board
policies are often skeletal in nature and lack
necessary detail.
While
some colleges may have program discontinuance
processes, there is no central repository. These
processes are not available from the Chancellor's
Office. Since system data is not available, an
informal survey of local academic senates conducted
at the Fall 1997 Plenary Session (Appendix A),
found that only 7 of 62 college responding had
a discontinuance policy. Without formal policies
arrived at by collegial consultation and/or collective
bargaining in place, program discontinuance is
bound to occur on an ad hoc, and usually administratively
driven, basis. Because program discontinuance
is a curricular, student success, and educational
issue, local governing boards should consult collegially
with their academic senates in establishing policies
and procedures for program discontinuance. Local
academic senates need to identify key factors
for developing a fair, equitable and faculty driven
program discontinuance process. Below are a list
of some factors to consider:
• Who should be involved and what are their roles
in developing the process?
• What are the criteria for initiating the discontinuance
process?
• How are programs to be identified and by whom?
• What are the effects on students and student
success when a program is discontinued?
• What provisions can and should be made for students
in progress to complete their training?
• How does the discontinuance of a program alter
the comprehensiveness and balance of offerings
across the college curriculum? Within the district?
• How does the program discontinuance process
fit into the educational and budget planning process
used at the institution?
• What are the regional effects of program discontinuance?
• What are the effects on transfer to UC/CSU?
• What are the effects on local business and industries?
In
addition, it is important to realize how little
Education Code and regulation exists regarding
campus-wide program discontinuance. A review of
current regulations illustrates that most program
discontinuance deals with occupational education
programs. The following are the current regulations
and statutes.
Current
Regulation and Statute
Title
5 § 55130
An
approval is effective until the program or implementation
of the program is discontinued or modified in
any substantial way. From time to time the Chancellor
may evaluate an educational program, after its
approval, on the basis of factors listed in this
section. If on the basis of such an evaluation
the Chancellor determines that an educational
program should no longer be offered, the Chancellor
may terminate the approval and determine the effective
date of termination.
Title
5 § 51022 Instructional Program
The
governing board of each community college district
shall, no later than July 1, 1984, develop, file
with the Chancellor, and carry out its policies
for the establishment, modification, or discontinuance
of courses or programs. Such policies shall incorporate
statutory responsibilities regarding vocational
or occupational training program review as specified
in Section 78016 of the Education Code.
Ed.
Code § 78016 Review of program; termination
Every
vocational or occupational training program offered
by a community college district shall be reviewed
every two years by the governing board of the
district to assure that each program, as demonstrated
by the California Occupational Labor Market Information
Program established in Section 10533 of the Unemployment
Insurance Code, or if this program is not available
in the labor market area, other available sources
of labor market information, does all of the following:
1) Meets a documented labor market demand
2) Does not represent unnecessary duplication
of other manpower training programs in the area.
3) Is of demonstrated effectiveness as measured
by the employment and completion success of its
students.
Any
program that does not meet the requirements of
subdivision (a) and the standards promulgated
by the governing board shall be terminated within
one year.
The
review process required by this section shall
include the review and comments by the County
Private Industry Council established pursuant
to Division 8 (commencing with Section 15000)
of the Unemployment Insurance Code, which review
and comments shall occur prior to any decision
by the appropriate governing body. The provisions
of this section shall apply to each program commenced
subsequent to July 28, 1983.
Major
Issues
Role
of the Local Academic Senate
The
involvement of the local academic senate is critical
to the successful development and implementation
of the program discontinuance policy. Local academic
senate involvement offers a greater opportunity
to create a collegial, student-centered, faculty
driven, academically relevant process for the
termination of college programs. Local academic
senates, in concert with collective bargaining
agents, should see their role as an opportunity
to eliminate inconsistent and inappropriate characteristics
associated with program discontinuance. Through
an organized resolution process or the development
of a position paper, the local academic senate
needs to lead in developing a well defined, educationally
sound program discontinuance policy that can affect
one of the most important processes for defining
the balance of a college curriculum and the future
of students' educational pursuits. The local academic
senate needs to be especially involved and assist
faculty in related disciplines when no full time
faculty are present .
Effects
on Students
Students
are typically most affected by the discontinuance
of a program. They will be faced with issues of
program completion and access when a program has
been eliminated. Steps must be taken to ease the
impact on them. Optimally, if a program is going
to be phased out, it should be done so that students
currently taking courses can finish the program
over the one or two year duration needed for the
certificate or degree. Every effort should be
made to place students in comparable programs
at neighboring institutions. If no other programs
are available, the college should assist students
in revising their educational goals. When a program
is discontinued, the college should make every
effort to accept the credits earned by students
in the discontinued discipline and apply those
credits to a related discipline in order to prevent
the students from having to once again start their
education at the beginning.
Program
discontinuance directly impacts student success.
If a program is earmarked for discontinuance,
analysis needs to be done to evaluate how the
student equity ratios across the college are affected.
Discontinuing programs in subject areas which
greatly serve underrepresented and female students
will adversely affect access for those groups.
Specific counseling services for affected students
need to be immediately available. The college
student equity report needs to be consulted and
changes made during the research phase when at-risk
programs are identified for program discontinuance.
If
a college is using low student enrollment as a
key reason for identifying at-risk programs, and
an occupational program identified as at-risk
happens to enroll high percentages of women, many
of whom are underrepresented, the local academic
senate should carefully evaluate the causes of
low enrollment. If pedagogical or curricular issues
are found to be factors in the low enrollment,
every effort should be made to encourage the discipline
faculty to make the necessary changes. Also, the
college should ensure that faculty have the necessary
instructional support and equipment to keep the
program current and vibrant.
Balancing
the College Curriculum
One
of the most difficult issues facing the discontinuance
of a program is the balance of course offerings
across the curriculum. Class cancellation and
the redistribution of full time equivalent faculty
(FTEF) funds has a similar effect on an institution
as discontinuing a program. High costs and/or
low enrollment are typical reasons why colleges
redistribute FTEF, and those funds typically go
to subject areas that show potential for growth.
Without a comprehensive plan for program discontinuance,
some department offerings across the curriculum
can become unusually deflated to the point that
students cannot make reasonable progress toward
program completion, hence de facto program discontinuance
has occurred.
The
college mission statement and educational master
plan need to be used as a basis for deciding the
direction of instructional spending. Local labor
market and community needs must also be reflected
in the development of an effective program discontinuance
process.
The
college needs to take care to ensure that it offers
a comprehensive set of offerings. The mix of programs
must address the multiple missions of California
Community Colleges, and thus include an appropriate
mix of vocational, basic skills and transfer courses.
Program offerings need to be made available in
sufficient numbers and at appropriate times to
match student demand and allow students to make
reasonable progress toward program completion.
While colleges do need to balance relatively higher
cost programs (such as equipment intensive vocational
programs or advanced courses in a major sequence)
with lower cost ones (such as most liberal arts
courses), the college must protect the student's
ability to transfer in a range of majors or choose
to pursue employment in a range of locally available
occupations. A well balanced curriculum is central
to making access to meaningful employment or transfer
a reality in any given community.
Educational
and Budget Planning
Community
college educational planning requires that the
college examine what it does and how that compares
to a forecast of what is needed in the future.
As stated in The Academic Senate's paper Program
Review: Developing a Faculty Driven Process,
"…we see enrollments decreasing in course
A and wait lists growing in course B so we offer
fewer of A and more of B. But planning asks why
these changes are occurring, whether the condition
can be changed by the college and the faculty,
and what is to be done."
A
comprehensive program discontinuance process should
help answer such questions. Scarce resources and
growing student populations compel us to focus
on difficult questions. Which programs deserve
additional staff, equipment, or supply budgets?
Which programs must be reconstructed to more effectively
meet student needs? Which programs, as determined
through an appropriate process, are not needed?
Faculty should and must become involved in asking
these kinds of questions. The colleges and the
surrounding community cannot afford to be without
the knowledge and expertise of the faculty on
these important planning issues.
Steps
taken to identify and then strengthen at-risk
programs should be implemented before action on
discontinuance is taken. These actions should
constitute a plan developed jointly by discipline
faculty and the local academic senate. For occupational
programs, the advisory committee should be intimately
involved in the construction of this plan. The
following actions might be considered for:
Low growth/low enrollment problems
• active recruitment of targeted populations
• cooperative ventures with local employers, transfer
institutions, and/or other community colleges
• enhanced career and academic counseling services
(career/transfer center, job fairs, transfer day,
etc.)
• adjustment of course scheduling: times of day,
block scheduling, short courses, frequency and
number of sections, open entry/open exit
• analysis of demand for the program through use
of labor market information which may result in
curriculum modifications such as adding options
for higher demand specialties
• articulation of programs/courses: K-12, Tech
Prep, etc., and a 4 year sequencing of offerings
to ensure student ability to transition to subsequent
levels
Low retention/persistence/completion problems
• faculty development in classroom techniques
such as addressing alternative learning styles,
student course contracts and classroom research
• analysis of the curriculum to ensure alignment
of course outcomes with next-course entry skills
in sequences
• enhanced student support services: tutoring,
financial aid, learning/study skills, child care,
etc.
Analysis
of program resources including
• adequate faculty, both in numbers of full-time
faculty and in their particular expertise (use
of faculty development or sabbatical resources
may be appropriate)
• sufficient physical resources including facilities,
equipment, and supplies
• appropriate levels of outside support such as
classified staff, course offerings, library materials,
and work place learning opportunities.
Central
to developing this plan is a formal link to the
budget process. Often at-risk programs can be
strengthened if proper support is given to enable
the program to retool and adapt to changing market
conditions. Funds needed for strengthening at-risk
programs should be identified and prioritized
within the college's annual budget. A policy should
be established through collegial consultation
with the local academic senate that outlines the
process for developing the plan. The implemented
plan should be monitored by annual compilations
of data and accompanying narrative analysis by
program faculty. This analysis should serve as
a basis for mid-course corrections to the plan
and budget changes, again overseen by the program
discontinuance subcommittee. The plan should incorporate
specific targets which can be used to evaluate
the effectiveness of the interventions taken.
It is important to note that these targets must
include qualitative measures.
The
community is best served when curriculum and educational
plans drive the budget development process. Similarly,
the budget cannot drive the program discontinuance
plan. An institution must look to its mission
statement, the local and regional labor market,
and community needs in order to develop an effective
program discontinuance process. For occupational
programs, local advisory committees can be utilized
to clarify program strengths and weaknesses, to
update offerings and to assess employer needs.
For transfer and major programs, linkages to both
K-12 and to four year colleges and universities
can help strengthen and or access program potential.
Regional
Issues
Program
termination has implications beyond the immediate
boundaries of the community and extends into other
neighboring geographical regions. When a program
is put on at-risk status, an analysis should be
initiated to determine the impact of terminating
the program on the surrounding region. Consideration
should be given to:
• need for workers in the region with skills taught
in the program
• number of transfer slots available at four year
schools in the region
• availability of the program at other community
colleges offering the major within the region
• collaboration with business and industry in
the region to strengthen the program
• possibility of conjoint programs with other
community colleges in the region
• possibility of directing students at regional
community colleges not offering the program to
enroll in the program at the target college
• effects on UC/CSU transfer students
• effects on local industry
• the impact on the transfer student's ability
to complete specific lower division subject areas
and general education requirements when eliminating
a program
• the impact on local recruitment efforts by employers
seeking to find individuals with entry level occupational
skills
An
institution's program offerings need to reflect
a variety of local community and regional issues,
many of which are reflected in the occupational
skill needs of the area. Regional cooperation
is essential to establishing and maintaining a
skilled workforce. The limitation of program offerings
to one specific college does not acknowledge the
reality of our regionally based economy or of
the scarce resources available to educational
institutions. Program discontinuance discussions
must include an assessment of the potential impact
on the surrounding region. Larger geographical
areas often rely on high profile occupational
programs (i.e., Nursing, Dental, Business, Computer
Technology) to satisfy the need for workers in
the region.
Communication
between discipline faculty within the neighboring
region is essential prior to the discontinuance
of a program. For occupational programs, it's
a good idea to bring the issue before the Regional
Occupational Education Deans who also review programs
for program approval before they go to the Chancellor's
Office. For transfer programs it is important
to consult with discipline faculty at neighboring
community colleges as well as transfer institutions
and explore possibilities, including cross enrollment
opportunities. It is important to involve transfer
center coordinators and consider transfer data
and statistics which will prove valuable to any
discussions.
Collective
Bargaining Issues
Program
discontinuance is an area where collaboration
between local senates and unions is extremely
important. Once a district decides to eliminate
a particular kind of service, such as discontinuing
a program, it is likely that the need for faculty
services will also be affected. Districts should
have previously established program discontinuance
processes. If not, local academic senates should
work with their union colleagues to ensure that
both academic and professional issues and collective
bargaining issues in program discontinuance are
clearly addressed. Past experience with program
discontinuance has shown that the following collective
bargaining issues need to be addressed in collaboration
with the collective bargaining agents:
Adequate
Notification to Affected Faculty
Section
87740 of the Education Code requires notification
of impending termination. In cases of program
discontinuance, longer phase out periods may be
needed.
Availability
of Retraining for Displaced Faculty
The
District should recognize its investment in well-trained
faculty and should offer faculty the opportunity
for retraining if transfer is not possible.
Construction of Faculty
Service Areas
As
senate and union leaders consult to develop a
plan for an effective program discontinuance process,
a review of Faculty Service Areas and placement
of courses in disciplines is advisable. FSA's
are established to provide flexibility and mobility
of seasoned faculty to teach a variety of courses
and at the same time to assure that well qualified
instructors teach in each discipline. FSA's are
to be identified within the current CCC's discipline
list.
Considerations
When Developing a Local Model
The
development and implementation of a program discontinuance
process should be considered within the context
of the college mission statement, and should be
linked with the college educational master plan
and the department goals and objectives. Institutional
planning processes is one of the eleven items
on which local academic senates must be collegially
consulted. Faculty involvement in the development
of a program discontinuance process ensures respect
for the goals of the process by faculty.
Criteria
for identifying at-risk programs and determine
research needs
Given
the diverse characteristics of our local colleges,
a universal set of criteria for program discontinuance
is not practical. Community colleges are specifically
designed to meet the educational needs of the
community. As communities drastically differ across
the state, so do their community colleges. As
local academic senates develop program discontinuance
processes, they must consider the research needs
and methodologies.
The
criteria to identify at-risk programs should:
• be clearly stated
• contain uniform measures applied to all programs
• contain a specific set of measures for categories
of programs, e.g., vocational, transfer, lab/studio/shop/clinical-based
• be based on trends over time, typically three
to five years
• include a narrative analysis of each data element
provided by program faculty
• relate both to program goals and the mission
of the college
• identify definite steps to be taken to strengthen
programs in an at-risk status
Qualitative
data
Qualitative
outcomes are reflected in the spirit that animates
classroom discussion, the values that are modeled
in pedagogy, and the habits of mind of graduates.
Explicit attention should be given to qualitative
aspects of the program. If the focus of the process
is qualitative, less statistical and more value-laden
assessment will be made. The quality of the breadth
of the curriculum and the teaching and learning
process should be taken into consideration. The
student satisfaction and the quality of the program
as perceived by them and the quality of the program
as perceived by the articulating universities
or employing business and industry, is a crucial
factor in evaluating the program for effectiveness
in serving the students and community. Local academic
senates should develop the qualitative factors
to be assessed.
Quantitative
data
The
following criteria for identifying at-risk programs
are suggestions only. Those actually included
in the district program discontinuance process
are subject to approval by the local governing
board consulting collegially with its academic
senate. Key factor which may be used in identifying
at-risk programs include:
• weak enrollment trend
• insufficient frequency of course section offerings
to assure reasonable availability for students
to complete the program within its stated duration
• poor retention within courses
• poor term-to-term persistence for those in courses
in the major
• poor rate for student achievement of program
goals (i.e., completion rate)
• lack of demand in the workforce or unavailability
of the transfer major
• when the discipline is being considered for
termination: decline in importance of service
to those in related programs.
Local
academic senates need to be concerned with the
preoccupation of quantitative measures, particularly
productivity. It is important to emphasize that
quantitative data should not be presented without
a narrative explanation nor should it be used
for comparison among a college's programs. Such
use would completely disregard the qualitative
value of a program.
Recommendations
Recommendations
to Local Senates
Local
academic senates need to identify key factors
for effective faculty participation in the program
discontinuance process. Below are a list of factors
to consider.
1. Create a strong role for the advisory committees
in occupational programs
2. Address regional issues including:
maintaining
a skilled workforce in key occupations within
a region
coordination
with four-year transfer institutions to assure
adequate articulation
availability
of both lower and upper division courses in
a major
availability
of programs in the region and in the state
3. Resolve contractual issues for faculty in the
affected programs:
well
defined reduction-in-force procedures in the
bargaining agreement
adequate
notification to affected faculty
availability
of retraining, including adequate resources,
timelines, and target retraining discipline(s)
construction
of faculty service areas to balance stability
of faculty employment with program needs for
qualified facult
4. Create the opportunity for input from all affected
groups
identify
the process to be used in the development
of a program discontinuance plan.
work
with union colleagues to develop a fair and
credible process
use
sound judgment in establishing a process that
is open and collegial in the development of
program discontinuance processes.
handle
items under the strict scrutiny of the Brown
Act with the proper notification, first reading,
and second reading/action agenda items.
hold
a full public meeting, with provision forpublic comment as designated by the
local academic senate.
recommend
a process that represents the informed and
collective wisdom of the faculty
Recommendations
for Regulation Changes
Title
5 § 55130
An
approval is effective until the program or implementation
of the program is discontinued or modified in
any substantial way. From time to time
the Chancellor may evaluate an educational program,
after its approval, on the basis of factors listed
in this section. If on the basis of such an evaluation
the Chancellor determines that an educational
program should no longer be offered, the Chancellor
may terminate the approval and determine the effective
date of termination.
Title
5 § 51022 Instructional Program
The
governing board of each community college district
shall, no later than July 1, 1984
2000, develop in consultation with local academic
senates, file with the Chancellor, and carry out
its policies for the establishment, modification,
or discontinuance of courses or programs. Such
policies shall incorporate statutory responsibilities
regarding vocational or occupational training
program review as specified in Section 78016 of
the Education Code.
Ed.
Code § 78016 Review of program; termination
Every
vocational or occupational training program offered
by a community college district shall be reviewed
every two years by the governing
board of the district to assure that each program,
as demonstrated by the California Occupational
Labor Market Information Program established in
Section 10533 of the Unemployment Insurance Code,
or if this program is not available in the labor
market area, other available sources of labor
market information, does all of the following:
1) Meets a documented labor market demand
2) Does not represent unnecessary duplication
of other manpower training programs in the area.
3) Is of demonstrated effectiveness as measured
by the employment and completion success of its
students.
Any
program that does not meet the requirements of
subdivision (a) and the standards promulgated
by the governing board shall be terminated within
one year.
The
review process required by this section shall
include the review and comments by the County
Private Industry Council established pursuant
to Division 8 (commencing with Section 15000)
of the Unemployment Insurance Code, which review
and comments shall occur prior to any decision
by the appropriate governing body. The provisions
of this section shall apply to each program commenced
subsequent to July 28, 1983.
Conclusion
and Summary
Each
institution needs to develop a process for program
discontinuance that best addresses its educational
master plan, program goals and objectives, and
student access and success. Effective faculty
participation and leadership is essential to the
success of such a process.
ACADEMIC
SENATE FOR CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
OCCUPATIONAL
EDUCATION COMMITTEE
TURNAROUND
SURVEY
Fall
1997 Plenary Session
PROGRAM
DISCONTINUANCE
1.
Has your college discontinued any occupational
program in the last three years?
Yes: 31 No: 33 Don't Know: 12
2.
Does your college/district have a written policy
for program discontinuance?
Yes: 7 No: 31 Don't Know: 25
3.
If programs have been discontinued, please list
them:
Electronics (3) Welding (2) Court Reporting
Drafting (4) Apparel Design Air Cond & Ref
Technical Illustration Mgt. Of Manufacturing Travel
& Tourism (2)
Purchasing Early Childhood Ed. Dry Cleaning (2)
Motorcycle Repair Tech. Theater Design Technology
Model Building Environmental Tech (2) Aviation
Maintenance
