Professional Standards

Whereas, There are increasing incursions on academic freedom as exemplified by movements such as the "Student Bill of Rights";

Whereas, Some colleges and districts have begun, under the influence of such movements, to implement policies limiting academic freedom;

Whereas, Some colleges and districts have not adopted board policies regarding support for academic freedom; and

Whereas, The development and delivery of curriculum are academic and professional matters;

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge local colleges to develop a policy on the employment of a core of full-time faculty in each department, and

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge that the policy include ideal ratios of full to part-time faculty and include timelines for achieving that core, and

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge that the policies be published and made available.

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges support the intent of the following passage from the September 10, 1986, Proposed Final Report: California Community College Reform prepared by the Joint Committee for Review of the Master Plan for Higher Education: 55. That the Board of Governors create and the Legislature fund a Special Instructional Fund (SIF) to be disbursed by the Board of Governors to local districts which make significant progress toward improving the ratio of full-time and part-time faculty, and in meeting affirmative action goals.

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges reaffirm its total commitment to affirmative action and its belief that affirmative action can best be achieved through faculty involvement in all stages of the selection process from the determination of hiring needs, through the development of job description, to the selection of the final candidates.

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges reaffirm its support for regular evaluation of part-time instructors.

Whereas the excellence of instructional programs is enhanced by the willingness and ability of faculty to assume responsibility for the quality of their peers, and

Whereas the Commission for the Review of the Master Plan has recommended that the Board of Governors strengthen the role of academic senates with respect to the hiring, retention and evaluation of faculty, and

Whereas the Academic Senate has previously taken strong positions in support of primary responsibility of the faculty for evaluation and selection of all full- and part-time faculty.

Whereas the process of peer review is the cornerstone of any profession, and improvement of instruction is the purpose of peer review, and

Whereas peer review of a faculty member may be a rich opportunity for identifying an individual's strengths as well as for identifying areas for improvement,

Resolved that peer review of faculty be directed toward professional growth and improvement where needed.

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges support regular and rigorous evaluation which at a minimum shall include self, peer and student evaluation through a process approved by the local academic senates and, where appropriate, the local collective bargaining agents.

Whereas demographics indicate that California will experience a continuing influx of immigrants and refugees who will require instruction in English language skills in order to become effective contributing members of society, and

Whereas many of these non-native speakers will enroll in community college credit programs, and

Whereas the acquisition of a foreign language is an appropriate and established academic discipline.

Whereas recommendation 5 on the minimum qualifications for hire of vocational educators is too restrictive for present and future occupational programs, and

Whereas the competencies of many of the current and future technologies are obtained in the work place and not necessarily in formal education settings, and