Whereas, California Education Code §66010.4 [1] 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” and “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;”
Whereas, AB 2973 (Committee on Higher Education, 2022), [2] an omnibus bill, revised California Education Code §66010.4, eliminating the provision of “remedial instruction for those in need of it” and replacing it with “instruction and additional learning supports to close learning gaps for those in need of it" and changed the terms “remedial” to “pretransfer” and “basic skills” to “foundational skills” throughout other sections of Education Code, fundamentally revising the mission of the California Community Colleges and reducing access to college preparatory coursework;
Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges passed Resolution 07.14 F22 Reaffirming the Mission and Vision of the California Community Colleges [3] in the Fall 2022 Plenary Session with the intent of expanding access to all students, including those most vulnerable in society and those that may benefit from remedial or pretransfer college preparatory education, in order to support their academic trajectory under the auspices of a previously unrevised California Education Code §66010.4; and
Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges appreciates reform that attempts to meet the needs of students by increasing access to all coursework but is cognizant that the unintended consequences of enacting changes to California Education Code can adversely affect the robust student population of the system;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges work with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and system partners to reembrace the consultative process, particularly as it relates to consideration of proposed legislation that amends the mission and vision of the California Community Colleges; and
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges work with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and system partners to reaffirm a commitment to placing students’ goals first, including those that directly benefit from remedial or pretransfer college preparatory instruction.
ACCLAMATION
1. California Education Code §66010.4: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=66010.4.&lawCode=EDC.
2. AB 2973 (Committee on Higher Education, 2022): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2973.
3. Resolution 07.14 F22 Reaffirming the Mission and Vision of the California Community Colleges: https://www.asccc.org/resolutions/reaffirming-mission-and-vision-california-community-colleges.