Beth Smith

Beth Smith served as president of the ASCCC from 2013 to 2014.  Beth’s term as president was the culmination of her seven years of service on the Executive Committee as south representative, treasurer, and vice-president.  Previous to becoming president, Beth served as chair of numerous committees including Curriculum, Standards and Practices, Counseling and Library Faculty Issues, and Legislation and External Policy.

Beth’s year as president was characterized by experimentation.  During her term, the Academic Senate placed the majority of its standing committees on hiatus and instead worked through a collection of task forces and ad hoc committees.  Among the tasks of these groups were revisions of ASCCC policies and procedures, the creation of a process for a periodic evaluation of the organization, and responses to a number of resolutions previously passed at plenary sessions.

Among the important developments for the Academic Senate and the California Community College System during Beth’s presidency were the initial stages of statewide initiatives regarding online education, common assessment, educational planning, and open educational resources. Other significant issues involved ongoing controversies and discussions regarding topics such as accreditation, course repetition, and external pressure to pursue Massive Open Online Courses.

After her presidency, Beth returned to her position as a professor of mathematics at Grossmont College, where she continues to serve her students and her institution.