President's Update - April 2020

President's Update | April 2020

April 1, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

Many of us have noted the grief and fear pervasive in the communities we serve. During a state of emergency, the future is unclear, and the discomfort of not having a clear way forward is disturbing. As educators, we need to recognize these feelings in ourselves and in our students, to make space for those feelings, and to acknowledge they color our initial reactions and some of our interactions with each other.

We also know, however, that we and our students are resilient, and we are adapting to our new roles as remote instructors and providers of services to our communities. In spite of the anxiety and uncertainty of the moment, we have seen our new virtual communities pulling together to support one another. The ASCCC is very proud of faculty’s collective efforts and the innovative ways you have transitioned to support your students and each other. The faculty of the California community colleges are amazing in their dedication to their communities.

To further support faculty and colleges, the ASCCC has devised a number of opportunities to share and learn from each other as community colleges work to fulfill their missions in these challenging times. This message outlines what is available and what may serve this purpose as all faculty continue to keep students and their equitable access to educational opportunities in mind. We do not believe we have covered everything, and we welcome your suggestions for future work. Please feel free to email info@asccc.org should you have a suggestion for future dialogue or webinars, and we will continue to provide as much support to you as possible. The schedule in this message covers only the first ten days of April. Additional webinars and resources will be available later in April.

Lastly, I need to report to you that the Chancellor’s Office has consulted with the co-chairs of the California Community Colleges Curriculum Committee, the Distance Education and Education Technology Advisory Committee, and in some cases the ASCCC directly on guidance and executive orders during this time period. These communications can be found here and serve to permit colleges to adapt to meet the local needs of students and faculty during this state of emergency. These changes are not intended to create new requirements but rather are an effort to loosen some of the requirements expected during normal operation so that colleges can better serve their students and communities in crisis.

Please forward this message to all constituents at your college. All stakeholder work is interconnected, and the system is strongest when we work together and keep each other informed. As always, academic senate presidents should feel free to contact the ASCCC at info@asccc.org should they require any assistance or have questions. We are here to serve the 62,000 faculty and 2.4 million students in all academic and professional matters.

On behalf of the Executive Committee, I hope all of you are well, finding time to breathe and disconnect when needed, and filled with strength and grace as we all engage in our collective work of serving students during this crisis. I have confidence in each of you, and your Academic Senate is here to support you.

Respectfully,

John Stanskas, President

ASCCC Schedule of Events: April 1-10, 2020

The ASCCC has worked collaboratively with our system partners to provide the following presentations as a means of supporting faculty in their service to students. The schedule includes four varieties of events: discipline specific dialogue – small audience discussion format, discipline specific dialogue – large audience format, governance in a state of emergency, and information sessions to assist in the transition to remote instruction and services. These events are also listed on the front page of our website, www.asccc.org, and can be accessed here for the small audience discussions and here for all others. Below is a list of every opportunity divided into the four sections with an active registration link.

Discipline Specific Dialogue – Small Audience Discussion

These webinars are designed as moderated small group discussion forums. Participants will be able to discuss the challenges they have encountered, how they have overcome them, and what could help to overcome others. These discussions are repeated throughout the week and have a limited number of registration spots. They will not be recorded, but each facilitator will collect a list of promising innovations and any specifically identified needs to publish on our website. We can learn much from each other, and our collective wisdom can help us all improve service to students. These events are intended to provide virtual face-to-face interactions among faculty with similar assignments.

Additional Discipline Dialogue – Large Audience Format

These webinars are larger format opportunities for discipline faculty to learn and share in their dedication and support for students.

Governance During a State of Emergency

These large-audience webinars are intended to provide information that will assist academic senates, curriculum committees, and other governance structures in the remote environment.

Thursday, April 2
2PM - 3:30PM | Governor’s EOs and the Brown Act for Academic Senates During a State of Emergency | Registration

Friday, April 3
1:30PM - 3PM | Running A Senate Meeting by Zoom During a State of Emergency | Registration

Monday, April 6
9AM - 10:30AM | Q&A re: Accreditation with ACCJC During a State of Emergency | Registration
10:30-11:30AM | OER Committees on Campus – OER Liaison Conversations | Registration

Tuesday, April 7
2:30PM - 4PM | Chancellor’s Office Guidance During a State of Emergency| Registration

Wednesday, April 8
1PM - 2PM | Equity Mindedness for Hiring in a Virtual Format During a State of Emergency | Registration
3PM - 4PM | Where is Help Needed from the Chancellor’s Office and ASCCC Now During a State of Emergency? | Registration

Thursday, April 9
1PM - 2:30PM | Legislative Advocacy Message: Webinar with the President of the ASCCC During a State of Emergency | Zoom Link

Friday, April 10
11AM - 12PM | Equity Mindedness for Hiring in a Virtual Format during a State of Emergency Follow-Up, Q&A | Registration

Information Sessions to Assist in the Remote Service Transition

These webinars are intended to provide assistance and guidance to faculty who need it as they move to remote services.

Monday, April 6
1PM - 2PM | Open Educational Resources (OER) Basics | Registration

ASCCC 2020 Spring Elections

At its March 16 emergency meeting, the Executive Committee determined that the ASCCC will hold elections this spring electronically to ensure the continuity and leadership of the organization. The positions open for nominations will be president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, at-large representative, Area A (1-year term), Area B, Area C, and north and south representatives. Eligible faculty may accept nominations for up to two positions. At this time, the Executive Committee is asking faculty to consider state-wide service as a member of the Executive Committee and to ensure that the ASCCC Directory is up-to-date with each college or district senate’s current delegate information. If a change to the delegate is needed, please do so by completing the delegate change form and emailing it to elections@asccc.org by April 16. This directory will determine who is eligible to vote. Additional information can be found at the ASCCC Elections Page. Nominations are due April 17.

Other Upcoming Events

Apr. 15, ASCCC Executive Committee Meeting, Zoom
May 08, ASCCC Executive Committee Meeting, Zoom
Jun. 05-07, ASCCC Executive Committee Meeting, South Lake Tahoe

Jun. 18-20, Faculty Leadership Institute, Newport Beach
July 08-11, Curriculum Institute, Riverside

Additional OERI Webinars

Thursday, April 9, 2020, 1pm-2pm | Register Now! Copyright and Fair Use Mythbusters
Thursday, April 16, 2020 1pm-2pm | Register Now! OERI Teaching Physics Online Using MyOpenMath and other OER
Thursday, April 16, 2020 3pm-4pm | Register Now! Teaching Math Online Using OER
Thursday, April 23, 2020 1pm – 2pm | Register Now! Teaching Art and Art History Online Using OER
Thursday, April 30, 2020 | Register Now! Open Forum

Useful Resources During This Emergency Period

We have created a central location on the ASCCC website for useful information. Please feel free to visit this page as a repository of resources.

The Chancellor’s Office main COVID-19 Page includes useful information and updates. The Chancellor’s Office Communications to Colleges page includes a link to the guidance and executive orders issued by the Chancellor’s Office.

ACCJC Guidance on interruptions of study
ACCJC In-Person to Distance Education Memo

CVC-OEI support library

Zoom support library

Office 365 support

Student Online Readiness Modules
Indiana University Resources
IU Teaching Materials

OER Simulations and Virtual Labs

Advice for New Remote Instructors

3CSN Zoom Sessions on Navigating the Virtual Landscape