February

Among the papers adopted at 1998 Fall Session was one from the Educational Policies Committee entitled The Future of the Community College: A Faculty Perspective.

The Technology Committee continued the fine tradition established by previous Technology Committee Chair, Ric Matthews, of providing an ongoing variety of information and demonstrations in the Technology Room.

Laurie Burruss of Pasadena City College gave an exciting demonstration of some recent grant funded activities in multimedia. She and Karen Owen of San Diego Community College District have conducted several "multimedia boot camps" consisting of several day faculty training activities in how to use new technology and the world wide web to enhance classroom learning.

Last spring the Senate's Ad Hoc Committee on Basic Skills surveyed all of the State's public community colleges to learn about practices in Basic Skills instruction, which involve roughly half of our entering students. We defined Basic Skills courses as those that are pre-collegiate, and we focused on the areas of writing, reading, and mathematics. We excluded English-as-a-secondlanguage (ESL) courses. Of the 106 surveys sent out, we collected 68, a sufficient number to establish a high probability that the results are generally valid.

At the 1998 Fall Plenary Session breakout on Curriculum and Technology participants were updated on aspects of using technology as a tool for communication and for delivering community college courses. Issues and concerns such as effective curriculum planning, pedagogy, and instructor contact with students were discussed by presenters Roberta Baber of Fresno City College, Ken Guttman of Citrus College, and Ric Matthews of San Diego Miramar College, who shared information on how they use technology in communication and delivery of curriculum.

One of two papers forwarded to the plenary session from the Educational Policies Committee, Participation of Part-time Faculty on the Executive Committee of The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, was ultimately adopted by the body, but not before it had generated a great deal of heat.

How can local senates improve communication with their faculty, students, management, the state senate, and local boards? This was one of the topics discussed at "Nuts and Bolts II," a breakout session during the 30th Fall Session of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, which took place in Los Angeles on October 29-31, 1998.

The following remarks are based on my presentation in the breakout session, "Intellectual Property Rights in a `Virtual' World." They represent the views of the author only, and by no means should they be construed as the position of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges.

The Fall 1998 Plenary Session featured a breakout session to collect feedback in preparation for an Educational Policies Committee position paper on academic freedom, intellectual property rights and fair use in a digital age. Janis Perry, Ian Walton, Hoke Simpson and Elton Hall initiated the discussion.

The Center for the Study of Diversity in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at DeAnza College and the California Community College Chancellor's Office are sponsoring four colloquia called "Commitment to Diversity" based on the Board of Governors adopted Commitment statement. The conference fee includes two hotel nights, single occupancy, all meals except for dinner on Friday evening, and conference materials.

Money. Money. Money. Money. The 1999-2000 California budget proposed by Governor Gray Davis last month provided a $158 million (6.9%) General Fund increase for the California Community College system (www.osp.ca.gov/documents/finance/budget). How that amount evolved and how your college can have input into the development of the 2000-2001 California Community College system's proposed budget was the topic of a breakout session at the Fall 1998 Plenary Session of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges.