February

Access, Engagement, and Impact: The Hybrid World of ASCCC Events

A lot has changed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and much of the work done on behalf of the ASCCC related to teaching and learning has shifted dramatically. Significant adjustments, both personal and professional, have been adapted to and require everyone to think about the opportunities and challenges of the new reality in the hybrid world of work. While at times in-person experiences may be preferred to better achieve intended outcomes, in a new reality faculty can handle many aspects of their roles and responsibilities effectively and efficiently in a virtual environment.

Disciplines List Proposals

Every year, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges accepts proposals for changes to the California Community Colleges Disciplines List, which sets minimum qualifications for CCC faculty. Two Disciplines List proposals were received by the ASCCC in fall 2020. The first was a proposal to revise the film and media studies discipline, and the second was a proposal to add a digital fabrication technology discipline.

An Open Letter: From An Adjunct Faculty Member to Full-Time Faculty

Note: The following article is not an official statement of the Academic Senate for California Community
Colleges. The article is intended to engender discussion and consideration by local colleges.

Whether they acknowledge it or not, adjunct faculty are aware of the dire state of their position. The academic market never truly recovered after the 2008 recession, an open secret that faculty and classified staff are aware of.

The Impact of ASCCC Statewide Service

Each year, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges appoints hundreds of faculty members from across the California Community Colleges system to serve on statewide committees for the ASCCC, such as Curriculum, Standards and Practices, Part-Time, or Relations with Local Senates. Other appointments can be to Chancellor’s Office advisory groups like those for online education or guided pathways. Both part-time and full-time faculty can serve in many ways.

Elevate the CTE Faculty Voice

The mission of the California Community Colleges, according to California Education Code §66010.4 (1), calls for the offering of lower-division instruction that is transferable to four-year colleges, providing career education training, strengthening students’ basic skills, and granting associate degrees and certificates. Career and technical education faculty have an important role in the community colleges system and in the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges.

Americans with Disabilities Act and Disability Support Programs and Services Coordination to Best Serve Students

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018), one in four adults
in the United States has some form of disability, such as mobility, cognition, independent
living, hearing, vision, and self-care. Adequately meeting the needs of all college
students with disabilities can be challenging; doing so during a deadly pandemic in which
emergency remote and online instruction are the primary modes of delivery can be even more
difficult. Colleges must comply with Americans with Disabilities Act §504 and Rehabilitation

Taking Stock of CCCApply

One of the most crucial moments in a student’s academic career is the application process. Aside from the personal stress students may face during this experience, they must also navigate through college applications that can often be complex and daunting and may unintentionally discourage them from attending college. This negative situation is often exacerbated for first-generation students who do not have familial support in navigating an application process.

Revisiting the 50% Law: Its Intent and Its Future

Full-time faculty in the California Community Colleges system live on two sides of California Education Code §84362, colloquially known as the 50% Law. This law requires that 50% of a district’s expenses be expended on salaries of cl assroom instructors. Classroom faculty are included on the instructional side of the law, while the other side includes support faculty such as counselors, librarians, tutorial coordinators, and any other faculty not actively in a classroom as well as other college operating expenses.

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