President’s Update | February 2023

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome back. Hopefully, you have all had a restful winter break and are settling into the spring or winter term. The governor’s 2023-24 California Budget proposal came out on January 10 and looks promising, with a continued commitment to prioritize and invest in the California Community Colleges system and a proposed COLA of 8.13%. A new two-year (2023-2024) legislative session is also beginning, so be sure to follow the legislative updates and tracking on the ASCCC website and at the Faculty Association of the California Community Colleges website. 

The 2023 Spring Plenary Session is taking place from April 20-22 in Anaheim. This session’s theme is “Making Space for Connection and Belonging as We Center Authentic Voices and Lived Experiences in the 10+1.” As faculty leaders work collaboratively in fulfilling their responsibilities in regard to academic and professional matters, they must ensure that they not only hear the voices of those that have been traditionally overlooked or undervalued but that they also actively change systems in place that have prevented all faculty from participating fully in existing governance processes. As local academic senates are preparing for the plenary session, they should consider inviting part-time faculty, research professionals, administrators, and, more importantly, students to attend with them. All voices are needed in order to provide high-quality educational programs and services.

Elections to serve on the ASCCC Executive Committee will be taking place at the 2023 Spring Plenary Session. Information will be disseminated soon on the ASCCC 2023 Executive Committee Elections webpage. The time is also here to begin completing applications to volunteer for statewide service through the ASCCC. Whether one chooses to run for election for a seat on the ASCCC Executive Committee or apply for statewide service, all faculty are invited and encouraged to join in this work. More information about ASCCC service can be found in these Rostrum articles: Serving Faculty, Students, and the System: Participating and Learning with the ASCCC and To Serve or Not to Serve: Considerations When Running for the ASCCC Executive Committee.

Below are a few updates on the student-centered work that local academic senates and curriculum committees, as well as many other faculty, administrators, classified professionals, and students in our colleges, continue to address. Please forward this message to all constituents at your college, district, or organization. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@asccc.org. On behalf of the ASCCC Executive Committee, remember to take some time for yourself and your loved ones, and have a wonderful spring term.

Respectfully, 

Ginni May
President, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges

Elections for the ASCCC Executive Committee

Each year, the Executive Committee nominations process provides the ASCCC membership a direct voice in the organization’s governance.  The Executive Committee’s composition and annual elections are part of the ASCCC’s by-laws.

All candidates for election to the Executive Committee must meet at least one of these criteria: 

1. Be a delegate to the plenary session or a local senate president;
2. Have within the last three years immediately preceding the election been a local senate president or an ASCCC Executive Committee member or officer; or
3. Have been nominated by a resolution of a member senate. The minutes of the meeting at which that resolution was adopted must be submitted to the Elections Committee Chair with the nomination of the individual.

The ASCCC will seek nominations for the 2023-24 Executive Committee beginning on March 20, 2023 and closing on Thursday, April 20 during the scheduled lunchtime of the spring plenary session. 

Nominations for this election will only be accepted by completing the Executive Committee Candidate Form - COMING SOON. This form will be available beginning March 20, 2023. For additional information, visit the ASCCC Executive Committee Elections webpage or contact Elections Chair David Morse at dmorse@lbcc.edu​​​​​​​.

The California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)

Through AB 928 (Berman, 2021), the Intersegmental Committee of the Academic Senates (ICAS) was directed to establish a “singular lower division general education transfer pathway” to determine transfer eligibility to both the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems. On February 1, 2023, ICAS acted to establish the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) framework.

The Cal-GETC framework is included in the full statement from ICAS, which is attached as a PDF to this update and may also be accessed online on the ASCCC website.

Equal Employment Opportunity

In collaboration with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and other partner organizations, the ASCCC is participating in the EEO Promising Practices Showcase for Southern California. This free event offers opportunities to listen to and engage in community learning regarding statewide promising EEO practices. 

The event centers on learning about institutions leading innovative EEO strategies, with a focus on pre-hiring, hiring, and post-hiring, that can be scaled systemwide. The second of two regional EEO Showcases, the Southern California event, will be on Friday, March 17 in Anaheim, CA. The Northern California event took place in early December 2022. The intent of these events is to elevate the promising practices at institutions to the statewide level. 

The ASCCC encourages faculty to register and spread the word among their colleagues. Space is limited. EEO Programs can invite individuals interested in presenting their EEO promising practices to learn more by viewing the attached guidance.

Chancellor Search

Final interviews to select a chancellor for the California Community Colleges concluded on January 26 and 27 in closed session with the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. An announcement is expected soon. More information is available on the Chancellor Search webpage.

Common Course Numbering

Work is ongoing regarding common course numbering. The AB 1111: Common Course Numbering Task Force continues to meet to create a set of recommendations for a plan to fulfill the intent of this legislation. Early meetings have focused on creating a common understanding of expectations within AB 1111 and a review of common course numbering efforts within selected districts and C-ID. The ASCCC will share more information as recommendations take shape.

Equitable Placement and Enrollment

AB 1705 (Irwin, 2022) was signed by the governor of California on September 30, 2022. Much of the legislation was modeled on the California Code of Regulations Title 5 that provided the minimum requirements for compliance with AB 705 (Irwin, 2017). However, AB 1705 also comes with additional requirements beyond those in AB 705. Over the next several months, the ASCCC will be working statewide to help inform guidance on AB 1705 implementation. In the meantime, colleges and especially faculty working with research colleagues should continue to collect and analyze comprehensive data, both quantitative and qualitative, in order to identify promising practices where students are successful and areas where improvements are still needed to meet the individual needs of the diverse student population in the California community colleges. 

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars