ASCCC President’s Update

Fall 2024

Cheryl Aschenbach
President, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges

ASCCC Standing Committees and Appointment of Faculty Volunteers

In August, the ASCCC Executive Committee took action to complete appointments of 114 faculty volunteers to its 16 standing committees for 2024-2025. Recommendations for appointment are made by committee chairs using the ASCCC Faculty Appointment Process and drawing from the pool of faculty volunteers who have completed the ASCCC Volunteer Application to Serve form. In addition to appointments to ASCCC standing committees, the ASCCC annually makes appointments to Chancellor’s Office work groups, task forces, and advisory committees; C-ID-related committees, including faculty discipline review groups (FDRGs), the Intersegmental Curriculum Committee (ICC), Model Curriculum Advisory Committee, and Transfer Alignment Project Advisory Committee; Open Education Resources Initiative (OERI) positions, including discipline liaisons and members of the OERI Advisory Committee and OER Coordinating Council; and more. Much of the work the ASCCC does is only possible with the participation and contributions of statewide faculty, so thank you to all who have volunteered, whether this year or in years prior. Participation on state-level committees can be a means of sharing one’s expertise; it can also be an excellent opportunity for professional learning and networking. If you haven’t volunteered with the ASCCC before and are considering it, please complete the ASCCC Volunteer Application to Serve Form. All appointments made by ASCCC are made with the support and approval of local academic senate presidents, so please reach out to your senate president and let them know you’re submitting an application.

Speaking of the work of ASCCC standing committees, the work of these committees is driven in part by ASCCC Resolutions passed by delegates at Fall and Spring Plenary Sessions.

A few resolutions-driven updates to ASCCC papers are being undertaken by ASCCC standing committees during 2024-2025:

• Update to Course Outline of Record paper (Resolution 101.01, Sp2024)
• Update Work Based Learning paper (Resolution 101.02, Sp2024)
• Update to Impact of Computer Technology on Student Access and Success paper (Resolution 11.01, Fa2021)

Clean-Up of ASCCC Bylaws and Rules Revisions

Clean-up of the ASCCC Bylaws and Rules began in 2022, primarily to address adjustments to elections and resolutions voting processes made during the COVID pandemic and, afterward, to facilitate both online and in person participation in debate and voting. During that initial review effort, legal counsel for ASCCC suggested shifting some portions of the Bylaws into Rules. This cleanup work, presented to and approved by delegates at Fall Plenary, is not yet inclusive of additional requests for bylaws changes made via resolution in recent years; that work is on-going.

Faculty Empowerment Leadership Academy (FELA)

The fourth cohort of the ASCCC Faculty Empowerment Leadership Academy (FELA) was launched in October as the biggest ever with 16 mentors and 32 mentees! FELA was designed to focus on leadership growth of faculty from historically underrepresented groups in higher education, intentionally preparing participants to meet the challenges of engaging in transformative leadership using equity-minded approaches to working with diverse student populations. FELA is coordinated by the Faculty Leadership Development Committee. FELA mentors and mentees are encouraged to meet monthly as a minimum, while also participating in FELA cohort convenings and observing spaces where faculty leadership occurs or is discussed, as in local board of trustees meetings, ASCCC Executive Committee meetings, and at ASCCC events. Are you interested in participating as a mentor or mentee in the future? Opportunities are announced via ASCCC listservs in May for mentors and in August for mentees. Visit the FELA program webpage to learn more. 

Disciplines List: Minimum Qualifications Updates

The Disciplines List, which sets minimum qualifications for faculty and administrators in the California community colleges, is updated via an annual process conducted by ASCCC. An initial call for proposals for new or revised disciplines is distributed via ASCCC listservs in February, with all proposals due by September 30 each year. Proposals then are taken to a public hearing at Fall Plenary Session and, if support warrants it, to a second public hearing and consideration by delegates at Spring Plenary Session. Information about the process can be found at the ASCCC Disciplines List webpage.

The 2023 process resulted in three resolutions being approved by ASCCC delegates in Spring 2024. The new discipline and two revised disciplines were then recommended to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors at its July meeting, where all were approved. You can see the Board’s agenda item here. The new and revised disciplines approved by the Board are being incorporated into the Chancellor’s Office document, also called the MQ Handbook. We are still awaiting the release of the 2024 edition that includes Artificial Intelligence and the updates to Nursing and Art. It will be published on the Chancellor’s Office Minimum Qualifications webpage.

The 2024 process also resulted in three (3) proposals: revisions for Art; Physical Education (Adapted); and Brewing, Fermentation, and Distillery Sciences. These were presented at an open hearing at Fall Plenary Session and, pending ASCCC Executive Committee action to move them forward, will have a second hearing and be considered by ASCCC delegates at Spring Plenary Session 2025.

Transfer: Associate Degrees for Transfer

With the preparation of students for transfer being one of the key purposes of the community college system, it's no surprise that there is ongoing interest in improving student transfer overall, and more specifically, closing equity gaps among students who transfer. Reform efforts legislated in 2021 are now reaching a point of implementation, so the challenges of implementation are being felt statewide and locally.

One of the 2021 bills, AB 928 (Berman) Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act of 2021, included multiple implementation elements. One element called for the Intersegmental Committee of Academic Senates (ICAS) to "establish a singular lower division general education pathway that meets the academic requirements necessary for transfer admission to both the California State University and University of California." That effort by ICAS resulted in the California General Education Transfer Curriculum, commonly called Cal-GETC, that officially takes effort for students entering Fall 2025. Colleges are making final curriculum revisions prior to submission in December of courses for Cal-GETC review. The Cal-GETC Standards have been established and subsequently updated by ICAS and can be found on the ICAS Cal-GETC webpage, with Version 1.2 (2024) being the most current version. The ICAS Cal-GETC Standards Subcommittee met this month to consider additions and revisions to the standards, including aspects necessitated by other elements of AB 928 and requested via ASCCC resolutions processes. These topics include the consideration for partial certification, clarifications in Area 2 and Area 5, potential for two (2) disciplines in Area 5 instead of separation of two (2) courses into physical and biological sciences, and consideration of Credit for Prior Learning (MAP), CLEP, and Cambridge International exam results. It remains to be seen which of these topics for discussion will be included in the next version of the Cal-GETC standards.

Another element of AB 928 was the creation of the AB 928 Associate Degree for Transfer Intersegmental Implementation Committee with very specific membership. This group has met eleven times since its inception in October 2022, with meeting twelve scheduled for November 21, 2024, and three more meetings scheduled through June 2025. The primary purpose of the committee, as noted in Education Code §66749.8(b)(1) is "To serve as the primary entity charged with the oversight of the associate degree for transfer for the sole purpose of strengthening the pathway for students and to ensure it becomes the primary transfer pathway in California between campuses of the California Community Colleges and the University of California, the California State University, and participating independent institutions of higher education defined in subdivision (b) of Section 66010, so that more students can avail themselves of the pathway's benefits." The AB 928 Committee produced a Report and Recommendations (2023), with some of the recommendations being included in subsequent legislation, AB 2057 (Berman, 2024), that was signed by the Governor in September. At its November meeting, the committee will finalize its 2024 report and recommendations (see draft for committee discussion here).

I mention the 2024 report because if history holds, the recommendations will likely be introduced as legislation during the 2025 legislative session. While the committee's work doesn't have immediate impact on colleges, it does have impact as recommendations become law and statewide and local implementation is required. It's important for faculty leaders, including local senate presidents, curriculum chairs, and articulation officers, to be aware of what is being proposed and, where possible, to provide input via written or spoken public comment.

In response to ASCCC Resolution F17 15.01 Aligning Transfer Pathways for the CSU and UC Systems and in advance of the AB 928 Committee's initial recommendations about developing aligned STEM ADTs that transfer to the California State University and University of California, in Fall 2019, the ASCCC initiated the Transfer Alignment Project (TAP). TAP, in coordination with C-ID, is convening faculty discipline review groups (FDRGs) to consider whether alignment of TMCs and UC Transfer Pathways (UCTPs) into a single TMC is possible and, if it's not, what communication is needed for people to understand the differences. Political Science and Sociology TMCs are now aligned with UCTPs, and additional alignments are under discussion with an emphasis on the seven STEM disciplines identified by the AB 928 Committee. More information can be found on the ASCCC TAP webpage.

Transfer: Common Course Numbering

The ASCCC has been very involved in Common Course Numbering efforts, from having a total of 13 faculty representatives serving on the CCN Council, CCN Technology and Processes Workgroup, and CCN Development Workgroup to organizing and facilitating intersegmental faculty participation in CCN Course Template development efforts. In April 2024, the ASCCC was notified by the Chancellor’s Office that it would be responsible for facilitation efforts. In support of that direction, the ASCCC developed a plan to collect broad faculty input on templates via a survey distributed in early May, then to bring faculty representatives from every community college as well as CSUs, UCs, and interested independent colleges and universities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities together to consider survey input, share perspectives, and provide initial recommendations for templates, building upon existing C-ID descriptors given they were developed collaboratively by CCC and CSU faculty. Those convenings were held virtually over three afternoons in June, with survey and June convening inputs all being considered by a subset of volunteers in July. The July small groups, including community college and university representatives, finalized recommended course templates. Minor changes were made to two course templates after the July convening to regain alignment with the initial C-ID descriptors. Throughout this process, inclusive of surveys and both sets of convenings, faculty were asked to consider what additions to C-ID descriptors were needed to enable review for UC transferability, general education (Cal-GETC), and potential course-to-course and major preparation articulation. The final Phase I templates were released by the Chancellor’s Office in early September, in coordination with a series of four Wednesday common course numbering webinars.

Locally, faculty have been busy this fall revising local courses that align with any of the first six course templates developed during Phase I. At both the state and local level, Phase I was intended to be a proof-of-concept phase, with constant reflection and evaluation driving improvements for subsequent phases. We have learned a lot already and fully anticipate continuing to learn more about what works, what doesn’t, and what adjustments are needed to the vision and processes.

Development of Phase II CCN Course Templates is underway this fall for 23 courses. The ASCCC again started with input surveys for each of three groups of courses. The ASCCC also requested community college academic senate leaders to nominate faculty to participate in the Phase II convenings; a similar request for faculty participation was made of CSU and UC academic senate presidents, independent colleges and universities, and HBCUs. Selections from nominations were made to form CCN Faculty Workgroups (CCNFWs) of twelve faculty, each with a minimum of six community college faculty. The first Phase II convenings, which consisted of four discipline CCNFWs, covering the development of eight courses were held virtually in October, with additional discipline CCNFWs convening mid-November and early December. Following each convening, post-development surveys are being distributed as an opportunity for faculty to provide input on the templates developed during the convenings.

The ASCCC is aware that there are many concerns about articulation of CCN Course Templates and local CORs, especially after the mid-October announcement that colleges are expected to submit in December all course outlines revised for CCN. The ASCCC continues to work with the Chancellor’s Office, intersegmental academic senate leadership, and representatives from the CSU and UC system offices to determine what is needed to achieve the vision for articulation established in the 2023 AB 1111 Task Force Recommendations.

In support of local common course numbering implementation efforts, the ASCCC participated in the Chancellor’s Office webinars and held three CCN Support Office Hours during Fall 2024. Common course numbering was also a topic of discussion at the South and North Curriculum Regionals.

You can find additional information about Common Course Numbering in the following places:

• Chancellor’s Office Common Course Numbering Project webpage
• Chancellor's Office Resources, including memos, program updates, and webinars
• ASCCC Message regarding CCN and Articulation of Phase 1 Courses (Oct. 15)

Transfer: Recent Reports and Publications

For those interested in reading some of the reports that are influencing interest in and legislation for transfer reform, here are a few of the most recent reports.

AB 928 Associate Degree for Transfer Intersegmental Implementation Committee. Nov 2024. Final Draft Recommendations. Draft Report. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/63294b64e0e6c61627d6b28e/t/672ee165a2b0cd11a70eac78/1731125611547/2024-ab928-full-draft-nov-mtg-2024-foundation-a11y.pdf

California State Auditor. Sept 2024. California’s Systems of Higher Education: Streamlining the Community College Transfer Process Could Increase Access to Bachelor’s Degrees. Report. https://www.auditor.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2023-123-Report-WP.pdf

Cuellar Mejia, M., Johnson, H., Alesi Perez, C., and J. Jackson. Aug 2023. Strengthening California’s Transfer Pathway. Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). Report. https://www.ppic.org/publication/strengthening-californias-transfer-pathway/

Rodriguez, O., Alesi Perez, C., Cook, K. et al. Sept 2024. Thirty Years of Progress for Higher Education. Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). Blog. https://www.ppic.org/blog/thirty-years-of-progress-for-higher-education-in-california/

Generative Artificial Intelligence 

Whether it’s something we’ve used ourselves, generative AI is here to stay. The ASCCC intends to support faculty exploration of generative AI in the learning environment via a number of efforts.

Early this summer, representatives of the ASCCC along with other faculty representatives contributed to the Chancellor’s Office Human-Centered Principles for Adopting Generative AI that were approved by the Board of Governors. The ASCCC Education Policies Committee also developed a resource, Academic Integrity Policies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Resource Document, in response to ASCCC Resolution S23 13.05. 

For the November 2024 ASCCC Rostrum, the ASCCC did a call out for articles, resulting in 27 articles. Thank you to all who contributed. Interest in AI ranges from skepticism to enthusiasm, and the articles share a few common threads recognizing that AI is here to stay and that students and faculty alike need to learn more about its possibilities and effective use practices in education.

To support continued professional learning about generative AI, the ASCCC is again collaborating with the Chancellor’s Office and the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC) to host an AI webinar series during 2024-2025, with the first being held in October. The ASCCC is also planning for in-person AI-focused Academic Academy: Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. The event will be in San Diego February 20-22, 2025. Use the link to find out more and to register. 

As the Chancellor’s Office explores AI tools for faculty and student use, including Nectir AI and PlayLab, ASCCC has shared communications and requested participants. It’s interesting to hear a bit about the projects from participating faculty. The ASCCC will share more information about the outcomes of these projects as well as future opportunities as we hear about them.

Title 5 Regulations

Whether necessitated by new legislation or by a need for clarification or a new direction, the Chancellor’s Office has been busy developing and revising title 5 regulations. For a full list of current regulatory actions, visit the Chancellor’s Office Pending Regulatory Action webpage.

For regulations impacting academic and professional matters, the Chancellor’s Office consults with the ASCCC for recommendations; this may occur through Chancellor’s Office committees like the California Community Colleges Curriculum Committee (5C) or Professional Learning Flex Workgroup where ASCCC representatives have been appointed. It may also occur via direct consultation and discussion at ASCCC Executive Committee meetings and meetings with ASCCC leadership.

The regulatory process always includes a 45-day public comment period and may include an additional 15-day comment period if substantial revisions are made as a result of the 45-day public comment period. The ASCCC always distributes announcements for public comment periods related to regulatory actions via its listservs. Faculty are encouraged to share the announcement and to make public comments when so moved.

Regulations that have been introduced via Consultation Council for a first read at the November Board of Governors meeting include the following:

• Baccalaureate Degrees – 45-day Notice | Proposed regulations as of Nov. 6, 2024
• Course Outline of Record – 45-day Notice | Proposed regulations as of Nov. 5, 2024
• NextUp – 45-Day Notice | Proposed regulations as of Nov. 5, 2024

Regulations that have been introduced via Consultation Council, have completed a first read at the Board of Governors and are on the Board of Governors agenda for second read and action in November include the following:

• Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program – 15-day Notice | Proposed Regulations as of October 29, 2024 | 2nd read and action at November 18 Board of Governors meeting
• Flex Calendar – 15-day Notice | Proposed Regulations as of October 29, 2024
• Burden-Free Access to Instructional Materials – 15-day Notice | Proposed Regulations as of October 28, 2024

Recent regulations that have been approved by the Board of Governors and are either awaiting chaptering or have been chaptered by the Secretary of State include the following:

• Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) – Regulations as approved by the Board of Governors July 2024. Awaiting chaptering by the Secretary of State.
• Standardized Attendance Accounting regulations | Memo FS 24-08 Standardized Accounting Regulations Updates.
• Nonresident Tuition Exemption regulations – effective Sept. 7, 2024
• Miscellaneous Regulatory Actions (clean-up) regulations – effective Sept. 21, 2024

Board of Governors Faculty Representatives

The ASCCC facilitates the annual nomination process for faculty representatives to the California Community College Board of Governors. The process starts with a call for nominations in February. Nominations must be submitted by June 30 each year. Selected nominees are interviewed by the ASCCC Executive Committee in September and recommendations made to the Governor, who makes final appointments. Information about the nominations process can be found on the ASCCC website. The ASCCC thanks all who have submitted and been nominated as well as current faculty representative appointees Adrienne C. Brown (2023-2025) from Los Angeles Harbor College and Dr. Cirian Villavicencio (2024-2026) from San Joaquin Delta College for their service. 

Chancellor’s Office Climate Fellows

In September, Chancellor Christian announced the selection of five (5) Climate Fellows, two (2) of whom are faculty members. Tonya Huff, Riverside Community College, will have a focus on student engagement, and Holly Bailey-Hofmann, West Los Angeles College, will have a focus on curriculum. Carla Grandy, Vice President of Instruction at College of San Mateo, will be lead climate fellow. 

Professor Bailey-Hofmann joined the ASCCC for a climate-focused session at Fall Plenary and will continue to collaborate given her focus on curriculum. As part of the Climate Fellows’ initial efforts, Holly is conducting a landscape survey to collect examples of climate-related curriculum and programs faculty have created, whether climate is a small or large part of the course or program. Please complete the survey if you have any climate-related curriculum to share, and pass it along to colleagues.

Chaptered Legislation

From the time bills begin being introduced in January until the Governor signs or vetoes the last bills, the ASCCC tracks legislation. Legislative updates are included in every ASCCC Executive Committee meeting agenda, which are always available to the public on the ASCCC Meetings and Agendas webpage, and all letters submitted during a legislative session can be found on the ASCCC Legislative Positions webpage. During the 2024 legislative session, ASCCC submitted letters of support for SB 895 (Roth), AB 2093 (Santiago), AB 2586 (Alvarez), and AB 2407 (Hart) in addition to regularly speaking with legislators and staff about support positions as well as specific concerns about bills.

The ASCCC does not do this work alone. The Chancellor’s Office Government Relations staff regularly provides State and Federal updates at Consultation Council and Board of Governors meetings. The Community College League of California holds monthly GR webinars as well as facilitates meetings of all CCC advocates for sharing of positions. Faculty organizations update each other monthly at Council of Faculty Organizations meetings. These opportunities allow for expressing concerns, support for sponsored bills, and shared advocacy within the community colleges.

Each fall, the Chancellor’s Office releases its Chancellor’s Office Chaptered Legislation Report, which summarizes all actions and provides initial guidance to districts. Interested in reading reports? Legislation often includes a requirement that the Chancellor’s Office regularly report to the Legislature; these reports can be found at the Chancellor’s Office Legislative Reports webpage.

Spring 2025 Plenary Session

Spring 2025 Plenary Session will be April 24-26 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. The session will be hybrid, with the option for attendees to participate in person or online. One change from past practice is that only amendments and emergency resolutions will be submitted during the session. All resolutions will need to be submitted in advance. We’ll provide more information in advance of the spring plenary, but I want to give you an early heads up.

Speaking of giving you a heads up, the ASCCC Executive Committee has taken action to hold Fall Plenary Session 2025 as fully in-person, with hybrid attendance and participation only available on Saturday during resolution voting and debate. Plan to join us in person in San Diego November 6-8, 2025.

ASCCC Serving You

Arguably, the ASCCC’s most important work is supporting local academic senates and curriculum committees directly and through development of resources and delivery of professional learning webinars and events. Your work then supports students and faculty participation in governance. We’ve been busy this fall!

• ASCCC Webinars held or planned August-December: 27, including 19 office hours
• ASCCC OERI Webinars held since August: 17, including two (2) office hours
• ASCCC OERI Webinars planned for the remainder of Fall 2024: 30, including six (6) office hours
• Local Visits: 35 in-person and virtual visits scheduled since August, with more being scheduled
• Collegiality in Action visits: nine (9) primarily in-person visits since August, with more being planned for spring.
• Answering questions submitted to info@asccc.org. Have a question? Send it to us, but keep in mind that we’ll include senate presidents in our response.

If your academic senate or curriculum committee wants us to visit to share information or answer questions, visit the Request Services page and fill out the form.

Thank You!

I can’t close a President’s Update without expressing gratitude. To start, thank you to faculty who daily serve students in whatever ways are needed. You make a difference! Then, thank you to faculty who have chosen to serve on or lead local academic senates, curriculum committees, and governance committees. Your contributions impact students and faculty at your college and in your district. My appreciation runs deep for those who volunteer to serve on statewide committees, whether for ASCCC, C-ID, OERI, Common Course Numbering, or to be appointed by ASCCC to Chancellor’s Office advisory committees, task forces, and workgroups. Your contributions create ripples of impact on students, faculty, and colleges throughout the state. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the ASCCC Volunteer to Serve form. It’s a great opportunity to contribute while also learning and networking.

Upcoming Events

• December 5-6, Executive Committee Meeting, Merced
• January 9-10, Executive Committee Meeting, Burlingame
• February 7-8, Executive Committee Meeting, Santa Ana
• February 20-22, Academic Academy, San Diego

Upcoming Webinars

• CBE and General Education, Friday, December 6, 1:00-2:00 pm
• ASCCC President Drop-in Conversations, Wednesday, December 11, 10:00-11:00 am
• Destigmatizing Academic Probation: Moving from Punitive to Supportive Language & Practices, Wednesday, December 11, 12:30-1:30 pm
• January Budget Overview, Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 4:30-5:30 pm
• Introduced Bill Overview, Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 6:00-7:00 pm
• May Revise Overview, Monday, May 19, 2025, 6:00-7:00 pm