President's Update | February 2017

Accreditation

Of course, the best news regarding accreditation is the reaffirmation of accreditation status for San Francisco City College. Congratulations to all at CCSF. The reaffirmation is a testament to the commitment of faculty, staff, and administrators to their students, their community, and their college.

In further news regarding Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Dr. Richard Winn has taken the position of Interim President. Past ASCCC president, Ian Walton was elected vice chair of the Commission. The ongoing work to improve the accreditation process continues in the spring. CEO Workgroup I resumes its discussions with ACCJC on ways to improve ACCJC’s current processes. These discussions are based on the report submitted to the ACCJC in June and ACCJC’s response. CEO Workgroup II will continue to work toward the long-term goal of having a single higher education commission for the Western region. Regular updates on both workgroups and all efforts involving the ACCJC may be found on the Community College League of California’s Accreditation webpage. Finally, the ASCCC leadership is attending the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) meeting in February to provide testimony in line with the letter submitted to the United States Department of Education regarding ACCJC’s compliance report. To learn more about accreditation issues, please join us at the Accreditation Institute on February 17 and 18 in Napa Valley. The theme for this year’s institute is “Charting the Course: Accreditation as a Tool for Institutional Excellence.” Registration is still open, but please don’t delay reserving your spot.

Budget

On January 10, the governor released his initial proposal for the 2017-2018 budget. As Vice Chancellor of Finance and Facilities Mario Rodriquez noted in his budget summary, “The [governor’s] budget summary indicates state revenues, which surged during several years of recovery, are now beginning to lag expectations. Despite this constraint, the budget provides roughly $400 million in new Proposition 98 General Fund spending for CCCs.” So, although the budget does not address everything the system requested, it is a good start. The budget proposal for the California Community College System includes a $23.6 million augmentation to the base, $79.3 million for a 1.34% growth in access, $5.4 million for a 1.48% COLA for the Apprenticeship, EOPS, DSPS, CalWORKs, and Child Care Tax Bailout programs, and $3.1 million for enrollment growth in the Full-Time Student Success Grant. The proposal also includes the following one-time fund items: $150 million for implementation of guided pathways, $20 million for the Innovation Awards program, $10 million to the Online Education Initiative to purchase a learning management system that will be free to all colleges, and $6 million for an integrated library system.  The proposed budget contained no augmentation for mental health, Veterans Resource Centers, Pathways to Community College Teaching, part-time faculty support, or full-time faculty hiring as requested in the System Budget Request. Of course, this proposal is the beginning of the budget process that will continue until June. The ASCCC will continue to work with our system partners to advocate on behalf of our students and our colleges.

  Legislation    

The legislative cycle has begun with new bills being introduced on a daily basis. A few bills are directed toward supporting and protecting students, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) students who may face significant risks in being unable to continue or complete their education. Of course, the cycle is just beginning and most bills will go through a number of iterations as the legislative process progresses. The Legislative and Advocacy Committee will continue to monitor the bills and provide updates to the ASCCC Executive Committee and the field as necessary. Monthly legislative updates as well as the newsletter and additional information may be found on the Legislative Update webpage.

Spring Plenary Session and Area Meetings

The ASCCC will hold the spring plenary session on April 20-22 at the San Mateo Marriott.  The theme for this session is Creating Space for Collective Voice: Dialogue and Discourse. Registration is now open and a preliminary program is posted here.

Academic Senate Foundation Spring Fling and Silent Auction

The Academic Senate Foundation is holding its 4th Annual Spring Fling Gala and Raffle at the Spring Plenary Session on Friday evening, April 21. Tickets may be purchased with the plenary session registration. Individual tickets are $150 and include dinner and dancing. VIP tables for 10 are available for $1500 and include a before dinner reception with champagne and appetizers, dinner, and dancing. Faculty leaders are encouraged to urge their district chancellors and college presidents to purchase tables for their institutions and to join us for the event.  More information about the spring fling is available on the Spring Plenary webpage.  Information about the Academic Senate Foundation Raffle may be found at asfccc.com. 

Area meetings will take place on Friday, March 24 for Areas A and B and Saturday, March 25 for Areas C and D. More information will be posted on the Areas News webpage as it becomes available.

 Minimum Qualifications (MQs) and Equivalencies

This spring, the ASCCC, in collaboration with the California Community Colleges Chief Instructional Officers (CCCCIO), Association of Chief Human Resources Officers (ACHRO) and the Chancellor’s Office, is holding two MQ and Equivalencies Regional Meetings scheduled for Friday, March 9 at Santa Rosa Junior College and Saturday, March 10 at Chaffey College. Colleges will be asked to bring teams of senate presidents, equivalency chairs, CTE liaisons, HR professionals, deans, and CIOs to engage in significant conversations about local policies and practices regarding the application of MQs and the use of equivalency in hiring faculty.  More information will be available soon on the Regional Meetings webpage.

Regional Meetings

EEO, Diversity, and Faculty Hiring Regional Meetings

The ASCCC Equity and Diversity Action Committee will be holding Diversity and Faculty Hiring regional meetings on February 10, 2016 at Sacramento City College and February 11, 2016 at Southwestern College. General sessions and breakouts will focus on effective practices for encouraging a more diverse faculty body at local campuses. Additional information is available on the Regional Meetings webpage.

Curriculum and the California Community College Curriculum Committee (5C)

The 5C (formerly SACC) continues to work with the Chancellor's Office to streamline curriculum approval processes at both the state and local levels.  A white paper outlining the changes will be distributed in the coming months.  The committee is also examining Title 5 to determine if revisions are warranted to ensure efficient processes. The 5C leadership presented at the January Board of Governors meeting regarding the efforts of the group and its subgroups.  The committee is also reviewing low unit certificates, catalog rights, and other issues with the goal of allowing for greater completion rates and student success. Regional workshops will be held in spring to disseminate information and provide professional development on local and state level curriculum approval processes. Information may be found on the ASCCC website as it becomes available.

Professional Development College (PDC)

The ASCCC is pleased to announce that another online course has been added to the Professional Development College. This new course, ASCCC Participatory Governance, is open to all individuals interested in learning about governance, including faculty, administrators, staff, and trustees. In addition to the new governance course, the PDC also includes five modules tailored to specific areas of curriculum such as the course outline of record and Career and Technical Education. More information may be found on the PDC website.

Upcoming ASCCC Executive Committee Meetings

• March 3-4, 2017, Foothill College (March 3) and Hotel DeAnza, San Jose (March 4) 
• April 19, 2017, San Mateo Marriott.

Monthly Executive Committee Meetings are listed on the Executive Committee webpage.

Upcoming ASCCC Events

• Faculty Hiring Regional Meetings, February 10, 2017 (North), Sacramento City College and February 11, 2017 (South), Southwestern College
• Accreditation Institute, February 17-18, 2017, Napa Valley Marriott
• MQ and Equivalency Regional Meetings, March 9, 2017 (North), Santa Rosa Junior College and, March 10, 2017 (South), Chaffey College
• Instructional Design and Innovation Institute, March 17-18, 2017, San Jose Marriott
• Area Meetings, March 24, 2017 (Areas A and B) and March 25, 2017 (Areas C and D)
• Spring Plenary Session, April 20-22, 2017, San Mateo Marriott

The ASCCC is always happy to provide assistance or guidance on any senate-related topic.  We also make visits to local colleges to connect directly with academic senates or other faculty bodies when appropriate.  Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in these services. More information may be found at www.asccc.org.