CHAPARRAL

I have several issues to share from the spring conference of the Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges (ASCCC), and one from the GCC Senate. First, the Chancellor’s Office, now referred to as the System’s Office, has hired Moore, Iacofano, Goltsman, a consulting group, to help develop strategic planning for the California community college system. The Chancellor, concerned about the agendas of the state’s political leadership, has decided to bring together representatives from all the community colleges to fashion what will be the first effort to organize plans at a statewide level to advocate for the community colleges. There will be ten meetings, one for each of the ten regions into which the System’s Office has divided the state. The first session is April 26, the last is ours in Los Angeles, at the Mayfair Hotel on May 17.

Included among the topics on the agenda are discussions of strategic planning and the desired outcomes, the necessary environmental scan, the key challenges and opportunities facing the system, and strategy development. Participants will be asked to offer input on priority issues and challenges facing our colleges and to suggest future strategic direction for the system.

We are asked to send 10 individuals, and the Senate has been asked by Campus Executive to appoint one. Other representatives will be appointed by the Guild, CSEA, ASGCC, College Services, Administrative Services and other agencies on campus. I will keep you posted on this event.

A second issue on the agenda concerns CAN, the common course numbering system that our students use to facilitate transfer. The California State University System has decided that they do not want to participate in CAN any longer (the University of California system has never participated). What this means is not clear at this point. We can trust that the articulation agreements that we have will remain in force, and thanks to Dave Mack, we have articulated many, many courses. The ASCCC now seeks to develop another system that will accomplish the goals set by CAN to facilitate transfer. On this I will also keep you posted.

The third point to share concerns the 75:25 ratio. The System’s Office is exploring the historic record regarding the ratio and has asked each college to determine if the pattern that has been set was done intentionally. Emphatically, the Chancellor says this is not meant to chastise or punish. He just wants to see whether we are moving closer to the intended goal. At this time I have not seen the data, but I will ask. Then we can discuss what our response to the record should be.

Fourth, changes were made to the English and math graduation requirements. As you may recall, this topic has been intensely debated. We even had a regional meeting on campus last year to bring faculty opinion to the table. Because these changes involve Title V, the recommendations will need to be taken to the Board of Governors. As soon as I have the language of the resolutions, and know the outcome of consultation, I will share them with you.

Finally, the Senate will conduct the annual electorate meeting on May 5 from noon to 1 p.m. in CR 137. At the top of the agenda will be discussion of Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment and where we need to go. Also on the agenda will be an update on the Strategic Planning Meeting. Please let me know if there is any other issue that you would like us to discuss. &

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