Whereas, Selecting course instructional materials is part of the academic and professional matters listed under Title 5 §53200, and faculty have a responsibility to take into consideration the cost associated with those instructional materials;
Whereas, Resolution 13.01 F17 Recognition of Course Sections with Low-Cost Course Material Options established that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges encourages colleges to implement a mechanism for identifying course sections that employ low-cost course materials and supports efforts to increase student access to high-quality open educational resources and to reduce the cost of course materials and supplies for students in course sections for which open educational resources may not be available to accomplish zero cost for students;
Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges recognizes that the struggles of all higher education faculty across the country are the struggles of those in California and recognizes the immense value of general education, majors, and minors in and related to the fields of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility and Critical Race Theory;
Whereas, In spring 2022, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) adopted Resolution 13.02 S22 Faculty Responsibility for Equitable, Accessible Learning Environments, [1] which recognized the need to update the existing ASCCC position paper titled Ensuring Effective Online Programs: A Faculty Perspective to include current and clarifying information regarding accessibility in online learning environments related to sections 504 [2] and 508 [3] of
Whereas, In fall 2018, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges adopted Resolution 17.01 F18 Guided Pathways, Strategic Enrollment Management, and Program Planning, [1] which recognized the significant environmental changes that California community colleges find themselves operating in; and
Whereas, Resolution 17.05 F22 Adopt Student Senate for California Community Colleges Low-Cost Recommendation [1] encourages local academic senates to adopt $30 or less as their locally established cost threshold that must not be exceeded for a course to be considered low-cost for reporting purposes and designation in the class schedule;
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, 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];