ASCCC President’s Update | May 2025

Hello colleagues!

For me, the closing of spring term has always felt like a whirlwind: getting last lessons in and supporting students for their final projects and papers, and with the ASCCC wrapping up committee work and assignments and laying the groundwork for the next academic year. Despite the flurry of work, the joy of celebrating students at awards ceremonies and graduations easily outweighs the end of term exhaustion!

The spring term passed quickly with all the work the ASCCC Executive Committee was doing, including preparing for and delivering webinars, regionals, and events and developing resources. Much of this work would not be possible without the participation of faculty from all parts of California on ASCCC standing committees and grants, including the Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI), Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID), Common Course Numbering (CCN), and Chancellor’s Office advisory committees. Together, we have done so much!

This is my last President’s Update, as my term ends May 30, 2025. The election for the 2025-2026 ASCCC Executive Committee was held at Spring Plenary. It was exciting to see so many candidates! Thank you to all who ran for positions and congratulations to next year’s board:

President LaTonya Parker-Parnell
Vice President Robert L. Stewart, Jr.
Secretary Eric Wada
Treasurer Erik Reese
At Large Representatives Mitra Sapienza and Karen Chow
North Representatives Erik Woodbury and Stephanie Curry
South Representatives Carlos Guerrero and Luke Lara
Area A Representative Christopher J. Howerton
Area B Representative Mark Edward Osea
Area C Representative Edgar Perez
Area D Representative Bethany Tasaka
Executive Director Krystinne Mica

It has been an honor and privilege to represent all community college faculty in statewide community college governance and to lead the Executive Committee as ASCCC President. Thank you for your support, your input, and your questions. Thank you for the work you do every day to support faculty, students, and governance at California’s community colleges. Not that there weren’t any challenges, there have been plenty, but the brightest spots of my ten years on the ASCCC Executive Committee were collaborations: with faculty, with students, with leaders of other constituent groups, with the Chancellor’s Office, with legislators and their staff, and with other organizations. Community colleges are strongest when faculty, students, staff, and administrators work together in support of student access and achievement. Keep up the amazing work locally and statewide!

Please share this with colleagues, including faculty, classified professionals, and administrators. We do this work together.

With immense gratitude,

Cheryl Aschenbach
President, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges

New ASCCC Handbooks

In the November 2024 President’s Update, I stated that ASCCC intends to support faculty exploration of generative AI in the learning environment via a number of efforts. Those efforts continue within ASCCC and in partnership with statewide representatives via the Chancellor’s Office AI Council.

If you aren’t familiar with these resources yet, please see the November 2024 ASCCC Rostrum, which was entirely focused on generative artificial intelligence, the ASCCC resource, Academic Integrity Policies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Resource Document, and the Chancellor’s Office Human-Centered Principles for Adopting Generative AI that were approved by the Board of Governors. While these resources are not exhaustive, they provide a foundation for thinking about the potential of generative AI as well as for using AI in ethical ways in the classroom and across campus.

The ASCCC AI-focused Academic Academy: Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow event took place in San Diego from February 20-22, 2025. Together, ASCCC, thought leaders, and the Chancellor’s Office explored AI in teaching and learning. If you were registered, we hope you had a great time. If you were unable to attend, be sure to look for more AI-focused articles in the February Rostrum and future ASCCC webinars.

Speaking of webinars, on February 12, the ASCCC held a webinar titled “Empowering Educators: Navigating AI in the Community College Classroom” in collaboration with the Council of Chief Librarians. If you missed it, you can access the recording and slides here. On March 13, from 12:00–1:30 pm., the ASCCC Educational Policies Committee hosted a webinar titled “Teaching and Learning with AI Bots.” If you missed it, you can access the recording and resources here.

New ASCCC Position Paper

The ASCCC’s most recent paper, Part-Time Faculty: Equity, Rights, and Roles in Governance, was developed by the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 ASCCC Part-Time Committees, approved by delegates at Fall Plenary, and published in April. The paper is divided into several sections, starting with history, marginalization, and myths of part-time faculty in California community colleges, moving to inequities experienced by part-time faculty members, then a review of data on part-time faculty from Datamart and the ASCCC part-time faculty survey, and then two academic senate-specific sections: the role of the ASCCC and local senates in supporting part-time faculty and what local senates can do to support part-time faculty. The paper closes with recommendations for local senates and the Chancellor’s Office.

Generative Artificial Intelligence

Independently and in collaboration with the Chancellor’s Office AI Council, the ASCCC continues to support faculty exploration of generative artificial intelligence. Through the AI Council, ASCCC contributed to drafting the AI Literacy Guidelines. It is anticipated that the final version will be published on the Chancellor’s Office Generative AI and the Future of Learning webpage, where you can review the California Community Colleges HUMANs Principles for Generative AI if you haven’t already.

The ASCCC Educational Policy Committee worked on a resource, Evaluating Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools in an Academic Setting. The final draft will be released once it is edited and designed for distribution. Until then, those interested can check out the draft reviewed by the Executive Committee at its May 16, 2025 meeting (see Item III.G. on page 63 in the May Agenda Packet).

ICAS: Cal-GETC

California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) as the singular lower division general education transfer pathway to CSU and UC mandated by AB 928 (Berman, 2021) goes into effect Fall 2025, replacing the IGETC and CSU GE Breadth general education patterns. Students who hold catalog rights to IGETC or CSU GE Breadth can continue to use those patterns.

The Intersegmental Committee of Academic Senate (ICAS) Cal-GETC Standards Subcommittee, comprised of faculty academic senate representatives from the California Community Colleges, California State University, and University of California met regularly during 2024-2025 to update the Cal-GETC Standards, Policies, and Procedures Manual. The committee had much to consider, largely guided by ASCCC resolutions and input from articulation officers. As ICAS actions require the support of a majority of each segment’s academic senate representatives, some of the requested and necessary revisions to the standards, including flexibility for Area 5, Cal-GETC for STEM, and partial certification, were not approved. The Cal-GETC Standards 1.3 do include clarifications in Area 2 and clarification on applicability of courses previously approved for IGETC. Final ICAS action was taken on May 22, so the approved document is being formatted for publishing and it, along with a document summarizing changes from version 1.2 to 1.3, will be released soon. Information about Cal-GETC, including the Standards 1.3, can be found at the ICAS Cal-GETC webpage.

ICAS: Math Competencies Statement

During the 2023-2024 academic year, ICAS convened a subcommittee to update the Statement on Competencies in Mathematics Expected in Entering College Students. Comprised of CCC, CSU, and UC mathematics faculty, the group worked through the academic year before submitting its document to ICAS for consideration. ICAS approved the document in Fall 2024, and the document was released publicly in early Spring 2025. It is intended to provide clarity on the mathematics that students should understand and be able to apply to succeed in college. Thank you to all contributing faculty to the document, including by completing a survey during Spring 2024. The Mathematics Competencies Statement document can be found on the ICAS webpage under Publications.

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 are 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 in response to feedback received during the 45-day public comment period. The ASCCC always distributes announcements for public comment periods related to regulatory actions via its listservs as well as additional information or guidance from the Chancellor’s Office for implementation of new or revised regulations. Faculty are encouraged to share the announcement and to make public comments when so moved.

Regulations reviewed or approved by the Board of Governors this spring include the following:

Certificates of Achievement – regulations approved in May and awaiting chaptering by the Secretary of State.
Student Education Plans – regulations approved in May and awaiting chaptering by the Secretary of State.
Baccalaureate Degrees – regulations approved in January and awaiting chaptering by the Secretary of State.
Course Outline of Record – regulations approved in January and awaiting chaptering by Secretary of State.
NextUp Foster Youth –regulations approved in January and awaiting chaptering by Secretary of State.

2025 Spring Plenary Session

2025 Spring Plenary Session was held April 24-26 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. Thank you to all who attended online and in person! Plenary Session is a venue for submitting, debating, and voting on resolutions around statewide academic and professional matters; educating local senate leaders on statewide academic and professional matters by providing professional development opportunities; sharing information about ASCCC and its work; and networking with other faculty and colleague leaders from across the state.

In addition to breakout sessions and general sessions during the first two days, faculty had opportunities in area meetings to discuss proposed resolutions and amendments and to propose additional amendments. Different from past resolution processes was that attendees could only submit amendments and urgent resolutions during the plenary session; all other resolutions had to be submitted in advance. This change was piloted in response to delegate interest in having more time to review proposed resolutions with local senates before plenary sessions. ASCCC will continue to pilot and evaluate this process throughout the next academic year.

On the Saturday of the Plenary Session, April 20th, delegates voted for elections and resolutions. Thank you to all who stepped forward to be considered for a position on the ASCCC Executive Committee. Congratulations to the 2025-2026 Executive Committee, led by Dr. LaTonya Parker-Parnell. If you were not elected, please stay involved with ASCCC by submitting the Volunteer to Serve form. If you’re considering running in the future, be sure to visit the ASCCC Elections webpage for more information.

Delegates passed 29 resolutions during a spirited debate session. You can view the final Approved Resolutions Packet on the ASCCC Resolutions Process page or visit the ASCCC Adopted Resolutions page (Spring 2025 resolutions will be added soon).

For those who inquired about the video honoring Dr. John Stanskas that was shown during the first general session, the video is available here.

The 2025 Fall Plenary Session will be completely in-person, taking place in San Diego from November 6–8. While hybrid participation will be available on Saturday for resolution debate and voting, we encourage you to make plans to join us in person for the entire session. The hallway conversations, shared meals, and collaborative sessions are where much of the connection and collaboration happen; we would love for you to be part of it.

Hayward Award Winners

The ASCCC facilitates the norming, scoring, and selection process for multiple awards, two of which were created by the Board of Governors awards and are sponsored by the Foundation for California Community Colleges. The first, the Exemplary Program Award, was established by the Board of Governors in 1991 to recognize outstanding community college programs. Winning college programs and their faculty leaders were recognized by the Board in January and included in the March President’s Update.

The second award is the Hayward Award, which honors community college full-time and part-time faculty who demonstrate the highest level of commitment to their students, college, and profession. Award recipients, nominated by their college academic senates, must have a record of outstanding performance of professional activities as well as a record of active participation on campus. The 2025 Hayward Award winners were recognized at the May Board of Governors meeting. The winners are:

Stacey Marie Svilich, Feather River College
Dr. Leila Safalarian, MiraCosta College
Diane Bushnell, Sierra Colleg

For more information, see the ASCCC Press Release Announcing Hayward Award Winners or visit the ASCCC Hayward Award webpage.

Stanback Stroud Diversity Award

The ASCCC facilitates the annual selection process for the Regina Stanback Stroud Diversity Award, established to recognize faculty who have made exceptional contributions toward addressing issues related to diversity, equity, and social justice on their campuses. Named in honor of Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud, this award uplifts those who lead with heart and vision in advancing inclusion across the California community colleges.

We are thrilled to celebrate this year’s award recipient Shella Muzelle Cervantes, Women’s Resource Center Faculty Adviser from City College of San Francisco. Shella’s leadership, advocacy, and unwavering commitment to creating affirming spaces for historically marginalized students exemplifies the spirit of this award. Her work continues to inspire colleagues and students alike.

You can learn more about the award and past recipients by visiting the Regina Stanback Stroud Diversity Award webpage.

Norbert Bischof Faculty Freedom Fighter Award

In every corner of our system, there are faculty who persistently and courageously advocate for academic freedom, shared governance, and institutional integrity, even when it's not easy. With the Norbert Bischof Faculty Freedom Fighter Award, the ASCCC honors those individuals who rise to these challenges with clarity, purpose, and resolve.

This year’s honoree selected by the Executive Committee is Angela Echeverri from the Los Angeles Community College District. Angela exemplifies what it means to uphold the core values of our profession; from championing equity in Title IX, defending faculty voice, or navigating complex institutional landscapes. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to principled action and community service.

We thank Angela for her tireless advocacy and celebrate her as this year’s Norbert Bischof Faculty Freedom Fighter.

To learn more about the award and its legacy, visit the Norbert Bischof Faculty Freedom Fighter Award webpage.

Credit for Prior Learning

ASCCC is working closely with the Chancellor’s Office and the Mapping Articulated Pathways (MAP) in preparation for convening statewide discipline faculty groups to review industry licensing or certification and develop statewide credit recommendations to support local college efforts to honor students’ prior learning and accelerate their time to certificate or degree completion. These efforts are aligned with Vision 2030 goals of expanding Credit for Prior Learning (CPL).

Personnel with MAP are sharing their current practices with ASCCC representatives in preparation for the handoff of faculty recruitment, selection, and convening efforts. This work is being done not to mandate local adoption of credit recommendations but to support scaling of credit for prior learning to the benefit of students. The ASCCC will also be working with MAP to continue to assist local colleges in the review or establishment of CPL review processes and policies.

Want to see existing statewide credit recommendations as well as explore how credit for prior learning is being awarded at colleges statewide? Visit the MAP webpage and dashboards.

Disciplines List: Minimum Qualifications Updates

The ASCCC annually facilitates the disciplines list process, which culminates in recommendations for new and revised disciplines to the Board of Governors. During the 2024 call for disciplines list revisions, three discipline proposals were submitted: Art (revision); Brewing, Fermentation, and Distillery Sciences (new); and Physical Education (Adapted) (revision). The first hearing was held during the Fall Plenary session, and a second hearing was held at Spring Plenary session. All three proposals were approved by ASCCC delegates during resolution voting and will be acted upon at the July Board of Governors meeting.

The disciplines list process for 2025-2026 is open through September 30, 2025. Faculty interested in proposing a new discipline or a revision to existing discipline can submit proposals. An important part of the proposal process is gathering support from colleagues, so don’t wait until September! Information, including timelines, FAQs, and the proposal form, can be found on the ASCCC Disciplines List webpage.

Board of Governors Faculty Representatives

The nominations period for faculty Board of Governors is ending June 30. Consider nominating yourself or a colleague. The ASCCC facilitates the annual nomination process for faculty representatives to the California Community College Board of Governors. Selected nominees are interviewed by the ASCCC Executive Committee in September and recommendations made to Governor, who makes final appointments. Information about the nominations process can be found on the ASCCC website.

CCN Update (Brief)

Common Course Numbering efforts continue. Phase I courses are undergoing intersegmental review for Cal-GETC and other articulations. The ASCCC is aware that some colleges are receiving denials for Phase I CCN courses and is regular communication with the Chancellor’s Office and intersegmental partners. Please see the May 2025 CCN Update for more information.

Phase IIA courses were released by the Chancellor’s Office in March and are available for colleges to begin local COR revisions. If faculty determine that a local course doesn’t align well with the CCN template for the same course or aligning the course causes concerns about current articulations, it is a local choice to not revise the course outline of record to adopt the common course number. Be prepared, though, as the Chancellor’s Office has said they will ask why a course was not aligned with CCN. Phase IIB courses have been finalized by CCN Faculty Workgroups (CCNFWs) and are being given to the Chancellor’s Office.

Clusters of Phase III CCN template development convenings start each Monday in June. Thank you to all the faculty who volunteered locally and were nominated by their academic senate presidents. Over 200 community college faculty were appointed to 18 CCNFWs and will develop CCN templates for 47 courses!

A more expanded common course numbering update was released earlier this week. You can find it here or visit the ASCCC Common Course Numbering Development and Faculty Engagement webpage.

Thank you!

Community college students are fortunate to have faculty dedicated to their success in the classroom and, through participation in governance, to the lasting success of local community colleges. The ASCCC sees you, faculty leaders, and appreciates you. Thank you for doing the hard and heart work locally every day! Thank you also for engaging with ASCCC throughout the year. Whether it’s a question asked via info@asccc.org, attendance at a webinar, regional event, institute, or plenary session, or an invitation to have ASCCC representatives visit your campus to provide information or assistance, your energy, curiosity, engagement, leadership, and support of students are the impetus for all the ASCCC does.

Upcoming Webinars

Visit the ASCCC Events Calendar to see the full listing of available webinars across a variety of topics.

Upcoming Events

Follow links for more information and to register.

Faculty Leadership Institute – June 12-14 at Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
Curriculum Institute – July 9-12 at the Ontario Convention Center

Looking for more Info? Visit the ASCCC webpage at asccc.org or email info@asccc.org.