Improving Student Success Through Compliance with the 75/25 Ratio

Fall
2014
Resolution Number
13.01
 
Contact
Assigned to
Consultation Council
Category
General Concerns
Status
Ongoing
Status Report

We have always had this position.  There is not really a lot to do with this resolution unless you consider the Sacred Cows Workgroup to be addressing it.

Whereas, The California Legislature stated in AB 1725 (Vasconcellos, 1988) that “If the community colleges are to respond creatively to the challenges of the coming decades, they must have a strong and stable core of full-time faculty with long-term commitments to their colleges”;

Whereas, The full-time/part-time faculty ratio since 1993 has, statewide, steadily declined from 63.2%/36.8%[1] to 56.14%/43.86% in 2013[2];

Whereas, Research shows that increased reliance on part-time faculty correlates with declining graduation rates, particularly at public comprehensive institutions[3], and that community college graduation rates decrease as the ratio of full-time to part-time faculty employed decreases[4]; and

Whereas, The successful implementation of mandated programs such as the Basic Skills Initiative, Student Success and Support Programs, and Student Equity Plans requires sufficient numbers of full-time faculty;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, in consultation with its system partners, support actions and ongoing funding, including possible legislation, that ensure progress toward the statutory goal that 75% of credit courses offered be taught by full-time faculty, excluding overload assignments.

MSU


[1] From The Use of Part-Time Faculty in the California Community Colleges:  Issues and Impact, adopted by the body Spring 1996, p.6 (http://asccc.org/sites/default/files/publications/UsePartTime_0.pdf)

[2] From the Chancellor’s Office 2013 Full-time Faculty Obligation compliance report

[3] In 2005, Ronald G. Ehrenberg, director of the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute (Conference presentation reported in Chronicle of Higher Education).

[4] Daniel Jacoby and Harry Bridges. "Effects of Part-Time Faculty Employment on Community College Graduation Rates."  Journal of Higher Education November 2006.