President’s Update | June 2023

Dear Colleagues,

As the 2022-23 academic year winds down, the ASCCC wishes to acknowledge some of the great work done and thank those involved. We encourage all faculty to take some time to thank their colleagues as well as themselves and to be intentional about reserving personal time during the summer for self-reflection on a job well done. 

Spring Plenary Session

Congratulations to all who participated in the ASCCC 2023 Spring Plenary Session for a job well done. In person attendance continues to increase. This spring, 222 individuals attended in person, with 96 attending virtually. Resolutions debate was robust, a sign of engaged faculty, and resulted in 34 adopted resolutions, eight referred resolutions or amendments, two failed resolutions, and one withdrawn resolution. 

In addition, Executive Committee elections were conducted. Congratulations and a warm welcome to the members of the 2023-24 Executive Committee:

Finally, a special thank you to Chancellor-select Sonya Christian for taking some time to join the plenary session on Saturday during the debate and voting on resolutions.

Cultural Humility

During the morning session of both of the April and May Executive Committee meetings, the Executive Committee engaged in cultural humility training. Often one can tell the values of an organization by how it allocates its funds. Thus, this year’s Executive Committee made an intentional investment in a cultural humility journey to improve the work we do together and, moreover, the service we provide to local academic senates. Our cultural humility work will benefit us as a board. We will be further developing the Cultural Humility Toolkit as a resource for local academic senates. This initial journey of learning will continue into the next academic year.

Elevating Faculty Voice

In response to Referred Resolution F22 01.05, the ASCCC is forming a task force to examine ways to elevate faculty voices, including those from traditionally underrepresented groups, within the ASCCC. The membership of this task force will consist of the following:

• ASCCC President and Task Force Chair
• ASCCC Executive Director
• ASCCC Standards and Practices Chair
• ASCCC Relations with Local Senates Chair
• 2 Local Academic Senate Presidents or delegates (college or district) from each Area
• 2 Past ASCCC Presidents
• 1 member from each of the following caucuses: Asian Pacific Islander, Black, LatinX, LGBTQIA+, Small or Rural, and Womxn's

The task force is charged with the following:

• examine ways to elevate faculty voices within the ASCCC, including those from traditionally underrepresented groups, 
• evaluate, with an eye toward improvement and amplifying faculty voice, the structures, processes, and procedures for determining delegates for voting in ASCCC elections and on resolutions, and 
• provide a report to the Executive Committee by January 15, 2024 with findings and recommendations.

Statewide Work

The ASCCC Executive Committee, along with other faculty volunteers statewide, has worked hard in collaboration with system stakeholders on the implementation of legislation and initiatives that include AB 1111 (Berman, 2021): Common Course Numbering, AB 928 (Berman, 2021): Transfer Achievement Reform, AB 927 (Medina, 2021):  Baccalaureate Degrees, AB 89 (Jones-Sawyer, 2021): Modern Policing Program, AB 1187 (Irwin, 2022):  Supervised Tutoring, Ethnic Studies, Equal Employment Opportunity, Open Educational Resources Initiative, and Rising Scholars. These dedicated faculty, working with other systemwide constituency representatives, have provided support and voice for local academic senates, curriculum committees, and faculty overall in academic and professional matters so that student-centered solutions continue to move forward. More information on these items is provided below.

In closing, we offer heartfelt gratitude to every single volunteer for the time, expertise, and voice invested in statewide work: ASCCC standing committees, CCCCO advisory committees, various task forces, and other groups. 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 2022-23 Executive Committee, thank you for an excellent year.

Respectfully,

Ginni May
President, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges

Collaborative Statewide Work

AB 1111: Common Course Numbering

The AB 1111: Common Course Numbering Task Force is on schedule to present a set of recommendations by December 2023. The charge of the task force is as follows:

The CCN Task Force will consult with subject experts and engage in discussions to inform recommendations for the Board of Governors related to the following:

1. A definition of a student-facing common course numbering system for all general education requirement courses and transfer pathway courses; 
2. An implementation plan to guide efforts to establish and adopt a common course numbering system that meets the requirements of AB 1111; and 
3. An overview of the process and timelines for how each community college campus incorporates common course numbers into its catalog using the adopted common course numbering system.

Currently, the CCN Task Force is formulating recommendations for work streams. Work is expected to begin in spring 2024. Some possible work streams under discussion include the following:

• Designing the taxonomy and rules/policies,
• Curricular alignment of appropriate courses,
• Technology systems upgrades,
• Student-facing communication requirements,
• Allocation of common course numbering resources, and
• Governance.

AB 928: Transfer Achievement Reform

The AB 928 Intersegmental Implementation Committee will continue to formulate recommendations through fall 2023 in three areas: 

1. Goals: Identifying annual goals for increasing transfer rates in California and closing racial equity gaps in transfer outcomes to be adopted by the state.
2. STEM: Proposing a new unit threshold for STEM degree pathways that meets the requirements for admission to the California State University and the University of California.
3. Reengagement: Reengaging ADT earners who do not transfer or apply for transfer into a four-year postsecondary educational institution.

The Intersegmental Committee of Academic Senates approved the Cal-GETC Standards on May 22, 2023. The document and press release can be found here.

AB 927: Baccalaureate Degrees

AB 927 has already facilitated an increase in the number of approved baccalaureate degrees in the California Community Colleges system, with 24 total approved programs after the 2022 application cycle (Cycle 1). The January 2023 application cycle (Cycle 2) resulted in 29 applications, 14 of which were moved forward to intersegmental review for duplication. A request to pause Cycle 2 was issued by Senate Education Committee Chair Senator Josh Newman and Assembly Higher Education Committee Chair Assemblymember Mike Fong; however, at the Spring 2023 Plenary Session, ASCCC delegates passed urgent resolution 6.06 in support of continuing Cycle 2. The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office has continued the process and is currently reviewing feedback from the California State University, the University of California, and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities to determine which of the 14 proposed programs can move forward in the approval process immediately and which will necessitate further consideration due to duplication concerns. 

AB 89: Modern Policing

The AB 89 Modern Policing Degree Task Force has held eight meetings this academic year and has one remaining meeting in June. The committee is charged by AB 89 with multiple tasks, primary of which is making recommendations for implementation of a modern policing degree program. The task force includes community college stakeholders in addition to representation from law enforcement; it is co-chaired by representatives from the ASCCC and the Commission for Peace Officers Standards and Training. Recommendations are being finalized by the task force and will be presented to the legislature as required in June.

AB 1187: Supervised Tutoring

Along with AB 1705 (Irwin, 2022), the governor signed AB 1187 (Irwin, 2022) in order to ensure all students have access to supervised tutoring for degree-applicable and transfer-level courses. Regulations approved by the Board of Governors to ensure access and compliance with AB 1705 are required by July 31, 2023 per the legislation. The ASCCC, the California Community Colleges Curriculum Committee, and the California Community Colleges Chief Instructional Officers have worked with the Chancellor’s Office to ensure regulation language does not unintentionally limit access to supervised tutoring. Amended language to the 45-Day Text on Supervised Tutoring will be listed on the CCCCO website under Pending Regulatory Actions.

Ethnic Studies

In spring of 2021, ethnic studies faculty from across the state gathered to discuss the social justice TMC. C-ID learned the importance of developing an Ethnic Studies FDRG to move ethnic studies out of the social justice TMC, where a student could earn a social justice ADT with an emphasis in ethnic studies without taking core classes in any of the four ethnic studies disciplines. 

By summer of 2021, the Board of Governors approved Title 5 regulations to require a course in ethnic studies for the associate degree. 

At the ASCCC 2021 Spring Plenary Session, delegates approved resolution 9.02 Develop a Rubric for Ethnic Studies Courses and Ethnic Studies Competencies. The resolution asked for the development of not only ethnic studies competencies but also professional development opportunities to assist colleges in the development of ethnic studies and its four core disciplines. 

In the fall of 2021, the CCC Ethnic Studies Task Force was chartered to discuss and provide recommendations for implementation of the new ethnic studies requirement in the California community colleges system. By fall 2022, the task force had developed the ethnic studies competencies, which had been vetted through a C-ID process that provided review and recommendations from faculty throughout the state. In spring of 2023, the ethnic studies core competencies were forwarded to the Ethnic Studies Faculty Discipline Review Group, which provided recommendations to approve. The California Community Colleges Ethnic Studies Competencies are housed on the C-ID website under resources. More information can be found on the Chancellor's Office website, including slides from a May 5, 2023 webinar summarizing the work of the CCC Ethnic Studies Task Force.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Title 5 Equal Employment Opportunity regulations revisions approved by the Board of Governors were chaptered by the secretary of state on September 20, 2022 and became effective thirty days later. The regulations made changes to the EEO plan requirements, approval processes, and data collection and reporting requirements. EEO information and updates can be found on the Chancellor’s Office website. Related to these efforts, the Title 5 regulations requiring DEIA in employee evaluations and tenure review processes were chaptered March 26, 2023 and became active April 26, 2023. Implementation of these regulations will involve negotiations between districts and bargaining units, and thus academic senates should be in communication with faculty bargaining representatives regarding such negotiations. Education Code §87663(f) requires that “the faculty’s exclusive representative shall consult with the academic senate prior to engaging in collective bargaining” regarding evaluations.

Open Educational Resources Initiative

The ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI) continues to track all matters with respect to the Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Degree Program on its OER and ZTC page. A compilation of this information can be found at Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Program Overview: What we think we know Version 2 (ASCCC OERI, May 8, 2023). Specific unanswered questions can be directed to the Chancellor's Office, and one can also ask to be added to the ZTC listserv via the ZTC email (ztc@cccco.edu). In addition, interested parties can attend the ZTC Monthly Office Hours, which are held on the fourth Friday of each month from 9:00 am to10:00 am. 

The Instructional Materials Task Force that was announced in the first memo from the Chancellor's Office about the ZTC Degree Program had its final meeting on May 17. The task force's recommendations relate to approaches to make all instructional materials, text books, supplemental materials, and supplies to zero-cost. The recommendations are scheduled to go to the Board of Governors in July. In order to learn about the latest information with respect to the task force and ZTC more generally, one can join the ASCCC OER Initiative listserv and self-register in its Canvas course.

Rising Scholars

Through Resolution S22 13.03, the ASCCC instituted a new standing committee, the Rising Scholars Faculty Advisory Committee (RSFAC), to more intentionally support faculty teaching and supporting carceral-impacted students and to help further lift the faculty voice in spaces where carceral education is occurring. Additionally, the ASCCC has utilized the Equity in Curriculum in CDCR Mellon Grant to begin developing communities of practice and to develop faculty professional learning materials to support high quality teaching and learning in carceral settings. These efforts will continue through the RSFAC. The RSFAC and the ASCCC will also continue to work with Rising Scholars Regional Coordinators and the CCC Rising Scholars Network to coordinate complementary faculty-led and coordinator-led support efforts.

More Statewide Work

AB 1705: Equitable Placement

AB 1705 (Irwin, 2022) was signed by the governor on September 30, 2022. Implementation and funding plans have been designed and disseminated by the Chancellor’s Office. Guidance from the Chancellor’s Office is available on the Chancellor's Office website, a CCCCO AB 1705 Implementation Guide, and a CCCCO AB 1705 Frequently Asked Questions document. On May 9, 2023, the Chancellor’s Office disseminated a memo regarding “Required Action: Equitable Placement, Support and Completion (AB 1705) Funding Allocation and the Submission of Funding Plans.” The memo can be accessed online. The ASCCC encourages academic senates, curriculum committees, and discipline faculty to work with their administrators and research professionals to submit the plans by July 1, 2023 as required and continue to collect full and comprehensive data on all student populations—not just first-time in college—in the areas of student success, retention, persistence, enrollment before and after census dates, and success after receiving a substandard grade notation and to fully examine the impact on students and the opportunities and challenges of this legislation. Interested parties can learn more from the CCCCO Equitable Placement page and the RP Group’s MMAP page.

Proposed Legislation for the Associate Degree for Transfer

AB 1749 (McCarty) is proposed legislation titled the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act: University of California. This bill would require that, like the CSU, the UC also guarantee transfer into a UC campus in a similar major with junior standing to students that complete an ADT and require no more that 60 semester units to complete a baccalaureate degree. While the GPA requirement for admission to the CSU is 2.0, for UC admission it would be 3.0. If the bill passes, the Regents of the University of California would need to act, by resolution, to impose this requirement on the UC system, since the UC System has legislative autonomy. Although the bill was referred to the Assembly suspense file, which means it will be considered with all other bills in the suspense file during a budget hearing, some momentum has re-emerged. Recently, Assemblymember McCarty stated, “That is why I’m proud to be joined by a growing group of students, higher education advocates, and legislative leaders that are saying: ONE degree TWO guarantees – a unified vision for transfer in California that aligns the CSU and UC, as outlined in our legislation AB 1749.” This bill is being sponsored by the Campaign for College Opportunity, the University of California Student Association, and Student Senate for the California Community Colleges.

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