October

In a recently published policy statement by the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA), the authors admit that despite three decades since “the assessment bandwagon began rolling across the landscape of American higher education the term ‘student learning outcomes assessment’ is still not familiar to either policy makers or to the public.”  The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, in its 2010 publication Guiding Principles for SLO Assessment, warned about “confusion” and “frustration” felt among faculty resulting from the SLO assessment mandate in

Over the last ten years, many California community colleges have received a sanction of warning, probation, or show cause from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), which can create varying forms of panic on college campuses. A sanction from ACCJC means that the commission has determined that the college is not meeting all of the accreditation standards and that at least one issue must be addressed within two years.

On December 19, Long Beach City College President Eloy Ortiz Oakley will begin his tenure as Chancellor for the California Community Colleges. President Oakley has a long history with California community colleges, beginning as a student at Golden West College after serving four years in the United States Army. He then transferred to the University of California, Irvine to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Analysis and Design and a Master of Business Administration.  Oakley returned to Golden West College as a part-time faculty member in the environmental technology program.

In fall of 2013, Resolution 9.01 called for the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, “in consultation with the Academic Senate of the California State University develop guidelines and/or best practices for the development and implementation of ADTs and report to the body by Fall 2014.”  In response, the ASCCC Executive Committee convened an ADT taskforce to begin work on writing a paper that would outline the processes and procedures involved in interpreting a Transfer Model Curriculum (TMC) and using the TMC to develop an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT).

Since 2010, sweeping legislative changes have radically altered the future of adult education in community colleges.  Among the various significant pieces of legislation on this topic, Assembly Bill 86 (2013) emerges as particularly pivotal in its ambitious goal to do the seemingly impossible: join two education systems that have current gaps and overlaps in serving adult Californians.  Many faculty fear a legislated "Trojan horse" whose impact may not be fully grasped before mandates demand compliance.   Others perceive this historic act as the long-awaited empowerment of faculty at the Ca

The Equity and Diversity Action Committee (EDAC), which was reinstated for 2014-15 as a standing committee of ASCCC, has been charged with responding to Resolution 13.06, “Success of Latino Student Achievement,” from Spring 2012 Plenary. The resolved clauses are as follows:

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges identify appropriate structures to support current and emerging Hispanic Serving Institutions in meeting the needs of Latino students and increasing their success, and report the findings to the body; and

Recent months have seen a burst of activity on the faculty professional development front.  From the Chancellor’s Office Report on the California Community Colleges Student Success Initiative Professional Development Committee Recommendations in September 2013 to the launching of the Academic Senate for California Community College’s first Professional Development College module on leadership in June 2014 to the passage of AB 2558 (Williams, 2014), professional development is a hot topic at all levels.  While these discussions, plans, and opportunities have actively included full t

At its inception in 2006, the Basic Skills Initiative placed a focus on the importance of discipline faculty expertise in curricular decisions.  This initiative led to a great deal of good work that continues to affect a majority of community college students.

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Policy on Commission Good Practices in Relations with Member Institutions states that the Commission will “include faculty members among the academic representatives on comprehensive evaluation teams” (p. 48).

The dialog heard at the Fall ASCCC Student Equity and Success Regional Meetings proved one thing: While Student Equity Plans are in varying stages of completion throughout community colleges across California, nearly every campus now faces the daunting challenge of simultaneously tackling the achievement gap and overall student success for all our local student populations. Planning meaningful ways to address local achievement gaps while also trying to create best practices to help all students complete their educational goals requires careful consideration among constituent groups.