Notes from ASCCC Spring Plenary 2010

Prepared by Debbie Klein, presented to Senate on April 20, 2010

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Keynote speaker Brian Murphy, De Anza President:

--Involved in revising the CA State Master Plan for Higher Education

1960--Master Plan was crafted by Clark Kerr for the "general advancement of the state" with three purposes, to promote: 1) economic growth; 2) social peace and 3) democratic culture.

Plan is about the distribution of higher education to the public--education is a public good.

--public investment in free higher education is key to economic growth

--without investment in public education, we can't compete in the global world (eg. Europe does not have a community college system; thus, there is no place for recent immigrants to get education and job training--struggling with how to integrate people who "came late to the game.")

Community College system is about access: "I never went to community college, but if my neighbor's child did, then we all benefit."

--But the idea of the state's role in providing higher education as a public good has eroded since Prop 13 and the past 30 years of divesting in the people.

--This idea has been challenged by the idea that education is a commodity that people should pay for.

Two ideas for reform that would help restructure CA economy to better support the CCC system:

1. CA Budget Project: CBP.org

2. CA Tax Reform Association, CTRA website: caltaxreform.org

--Many schools boast: "We're so cool because we rejected 70% of our applicants."

--Our system's mantra: "We're so cool because we let everyone in." We want our students to say, "I'm so cool because I finished my program and got a job."

Take-home message: Our system is really important, and now we have to fight for the ability to continue to provide higher education as a public good available to all.

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Resolutions Vote: 8 hours to vote on 66 resolutions on Saturday April 17, 111 delegates present (results will soon be posted to the ASCCC website)

Some Highlights:

--2.03 "Ongoing Concerns with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC)"--(unanimously passed, 96-0)

--4.07 "Transfer Degree Design" (Senate Bill 1440 April 15, 2010) (passed)

"Resolved, that the ASCCC, despite its prior opposition to the use of the word "transfer" in degree titles and degrees in legislation, support legislation to allow but not mandate the establishment of transfer AA degrees that guarantee transfer and protect students from repeating course work."

--7.03 "Chancellor's MOU with Kaplan University" (passed)

Urges local senates to refuse to enter into agreements with Kaplan based on Chancellor's Office MOU

--8.02 "Title 5 Changes to Include Counselor to Student Ratio" (passed)

"Resolved, that the ASCCC work with the Chancellor's office to change Title 5 to define the minimum number of counseling faculty required based on the recommended counselor to student ratio (1:370) cited in the AS 2003 adopted paper..."

--9.09 "Disproportionate Course Reduction in Humanities, Fine Arts, and Physical Education" (passed)

"Resolved, that the ASCCC insist that any disproportionate course reductions in transfer, basic skills, or career technical education courses or programs should occur only after collegial consultation with the local AS as defined in Title 5."

--10.02 "Opposition to Equivalency to the Associate Degree for Minimum Qualifications" (not passed)

"Resolved, the ASCCC recommend to the Board of Governors that there is no equivalent to the associate degree for disciplines in which a master's degree is not generally expected or available and that the AA degree is the minimum education qualification required for all faculty members in these disciplines."