Defining Credit and Noncredit Basic Skills and Basic Skills Apportionment

Fall
2011
Resolution Number
09.02
 
Contact
Assigned to
Noncredit, Pre-Transfer, & Continuing Education Committee
Category
Curriculum
Status
Completed
Status Report

Update 6/25/2015: CDCP Funding and AB 86 funding addressed this resolution; Noncredit Curriculum complete a lot of work on this resolution; Rostrum Article written.

Whereas, The distinction between credit and noncredit basic skills courses is locally determined and inconsistent across the state;

Whereas, Local decision-making regarding the placement of courses in credit or noncredit categories may be financially driven, versus pedagogically driven, as credit apportionment is currently greater than enhanced non-credit apportionment, and the Board of Governors’ March 2005 recommendations (which subsequently drove the development of SB 361, Scott, 2006) specifically called for increasing career development and college preparation noncredit funding over time to be commensurate with credit funding (minus the credit fee offset);

Whereas, Data clarification and alignment in CB21 coding have assisted faculty in the categorization of basic skills levels below transfer; and

Whereas, The acquisition of basic skills is essential to the mission of the California community colleges, and the outcomes and goals of both noncredit or credit basic skills are the same;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges initiate an exploration of the appropriate division of credit and noncredit basic skills classes;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges support funding noncredit career development and college preparation classes at apportionment rates commensurate with the March 2005 Board of Governors’ recommendations; and

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge the California Community College Student Success Task Force to include the March 2005 Board of Governors’ noncredit funding proposal in their recommendations.

MSC