Whereas, The governor has provided $62.3 million for faculty hiring in California community colleges, which may result in more than 1,100[1] faculty hires for the 2016-2017 year;
Whereas, Hiring faculty who understand the needs and experiences of a diverse student body will positively impact student success throughout the community college system; and
Whereas, SB 850 (Block, 2014) authorized the Board of Governors to establish a statewide baccalaureate degree program at not more than 15 pilot colleges;
Whereas, The purpose of establishing minimum qualifications is to ensure qualified faculty for all courses;
Whereas, Title 5 §53410 defines minimum qualifications for teaching lower division curriculum, and the passage of SB850 (Block, 2014) created upper division curriculum in the California community colleges; and
Whereas, The California Community College (CCC) Chancellor’s Office and the State of California, through legislation of AB 86 (2013, Budget Committee) and AB 104 (2015, Budget Committee), demand multiple educational pathways to increase success of English language learners transitioning into credit programs;
Whereas, These pathways include access to completing certificates or degrees or preparing for transfer via existing coursework offered at California community colleges;
Whereas, The University of California and California State University systems have indicated their willingness to grant credit for math courses that have a prerequisite other than intermediate algebra as evidenced by recent communication from their Chancellor’s Office to Articulation Officers;
Whereas, Many community colleges have introduced statistics pathways that permit such prerequisites;
Whereas, Planning and implementing curricular pathways to assist students in reaching their educational, transfer, and career goals involves curriculum design and program development, which are academic and professional matters as defined in Title 5;
Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has recognized the value of honors programs, encouraged their creation, and been concerned that they equitably serve California’s diverse population (20.01 S98, 20.04 F98, 20.04 F99, 03.01 S07, 13.12 F11);
Whereas, Lectures, course materials, assessments, and other pedagogical materials have traditionally been developed by the faculty member teaching a course;
Whereas, The increase in the number of online courses offerings has led to an increase in the number of publisher generated materials, including “canned” courses and assessments, being produced by publishers and other groups and an increase in use of these materials by faculty in both online and in-person classes; and
Whereas, The United States Department of Education (USDE) defines the credit hour in Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §600.2[1] as follows:
Credit hour: Except as provided in 34 CFR §668.8(k) and (l), a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than—
Whereas, The Recommendations of the California Community Colleges Task Force on Workforce, Job Creation, and a Strong Economy (August 14, 2015)[1] identified six recommendations for improving curriculum processes, including the recommendation to “evaluate, revise and resource the local, regional, and statewide CTE curriculum approval process to ensure timely, responsive, and streamlined curriculum approval”;
Whereas, The requirement of regular, effective, and substantive contact between faculty and students in online courses is present in Title 5, Department of Education regulations, and national and regional accrediting standards;
Whereas, A wide variance exists around the state regarding the definition of regular, effective, and substantive contact in online classes, leading to confusion for students and faculty;