Update 8/4/15: Although SB 373 is currently a 2-year bill, the ASCCC will remain diligent in its advocacy of ensuring the health of educational programs by supporting flexibility for the faculty to appropriately offer classes and provide support for students.
Whereas, SB373 (Pan, February 24, 2015) seeks to lock districts into their 2015-2016 Full Time Student Equivalent (FTES) for part-time faculty and the FTES overload taught by full-time faculty unless the college exceeds the 75% full-time to part-time ratio;
Whereas, Districts going through enrollment growth or decline could find themselves unable to offer classes or provide students with critical support services because these limitations greatly restrict their flexibility to expand or contract; and
Whereas, This bill will create several layers of inequity in that some colleges will be locked at more extreme rates than others and where unusual programmatic hiring constraints in career technical education, counseling and possibly other areas will require canceling classes and services due to these limitations;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges express our concerns to the Council of Faculty Organizations and other System constituents about SB 373 (Pan, February 24, 2015) on academic and professional matters and the ability to appropriately offer classes and services to students.
MSC