Assigning Courses to Disciplines Curriculum Opportunities Erik Shearer

Assigning Courses to Disciplines: Curriculum Opportunities Erik Shearer, Napa Valley College Michelle Grimes-Hillman, Mt. San Antonio College

Faculty have authority to assign courses to disciplines. • Who teaches art history? An artist or an art historian? • How can curriculum committees use the Discipline’s List to maintain quality of instruction and appropriate local flexibility? • How can the disciplines list be amended to remain responsive to teaching needs across the state?

Assigning Courses to Disciplines Title 5§ 53200: (b) “Academic senate, ” … as the representative of the faculty, is to make recommendations to the administration of a college and to the governing board of a district with respect to academic and professional matters. For purposes of this Subchapter, reference to the term “academic senate” also constitutes reference to “faculty council” or “faculty senate. (c) “Academic and professional matters” means the following policy development and implementation matters: • “(1) curriculum, including establishing prerequisites and placing courses within disciplines…”

Disciplines What’s a discipline? Education Code § 87357. Minimum qualifications; establishment and maintenance; “discipline”; definition and recommendations BOG to relying primarily upon the advice and judgment of the statewide Academic Senate shall prescribe by regulation a working definition of the term “discipline” and shall prepare and maintain a list of disciplines Established through The Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and Administrators in California Community Colleges (referred to as the “Disciplines List”)

The Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and Administrators in California Community Colleges January 2012

Assigning Courses to Disciplines All colleges should have courses assigned to disciplines but who did/does the assigning? Who should do the assigning?

Assigning Courses to Disciplines • Assigning courses to disciplines - How? • Assigning courses to multiple disciplines – How? Why? • Cross-listing – What does this mean?

Three ways to assign a course • Course assigned to a single discipline • Course assigned to more than one discipline with an “or” (cross listed) • Course assigned to more than one discipline with an “and” (interdisciplinary)

Courses Assigned to More than one Discipline: • Do not require more than one Course Outline of Record • Maybe “double coded” – i. e. , set up on two or more separate Course Outlines of Record 1

To what Discipline Would You Assign…. Animation Death History of American Film Economic History of the U. S. Photoshop YOU MUST HAVE A PROCESS !

What if you are a multi college district?

What are Minimum Qualifications? The state, through the Board of Governors, establishes “minimum qualifications” for teaching any credit or noncredit course, or as a counselor or librarian. In establishing and maintaining these MQs for faculty, the BOG shall “consult with, and rely primarily on the advice and judgment of, the statewide Academic Senate. ” (Ed Code 87357) Faculty qualify for a discipline. Upon meeting minimum qualifications, the faculty member may be assigned to teach ANY class that was placed in the discipline.

Equivalencies A district may hire a person who “possesses qualifications that are at least equivalent to the [state] minimum qualifications. ” “The process, as well as criteria and standards…shall be developed and agreed upon jointly by …the [local] governing board and the [local] academic senate. ” (Title 5, section 53430)

Who Determines Equivalency? • Create a Process – Academic Senate and Board of Trustees • Discipline Faculty Determine Criteria • Human Resources Helps Applicants Realize that the Burden of Proof Belongs to the Applicant • Board of Trustees Relies Primarily on the Recommendations of the Faculty

What About Single-Course Equivalency? Ed Code and Title 5 refer to qualifications in terms of Disciplines not courses or subject areas within a Discipline (Ed Code § 87357; Title 5 § 53410 and § 53430)

The Disciplines List: a constant work in progress Discipline qualifications are organized into groups 1. Disciplines requiring a Master’s Degree 2. Disciplines where a Master’s degree is not normally expected but a Bachelor’s or Associate degree is expected 3. Disciplines in which a Master’s, Bachelor’s or Associate Degree is not generally expected or available in that specific discipline 4. Disciplines for non-credit instruction 5. Other – to include Administrators, Learning Center Coordinators, Health Services Professionals, Apprenticeship Instructors, DSP&S Counselors, Work Experience Coordinators, Faculty Interns, EOPS

The Disciplines List: a constant work in progress Preparation & maintenance of “Disciplines List” assigned to Academic Senate (Ed. Code § 87357) • Reviewed and revised every two years • Works through local senates • Consults with statewide organizations • Vote on discipline changes occur at Session • Makes recommendations to BOG

The Disciplines List: a constant work in progress Proposed changes have a basis in one of the following criteria: • Changes within the profession or discipline • Clarification or elimination of confusion and ambiguity • Inclusion of new degrees • Continual use of the equivalency process to hire under a specific discipline • Assurance of the maximum degree of flexibility for the disciple while maintaining integrity • Other reason, as fully detailed and justified in the proposal

The Disciplines List: a constant work in progress Previously proposed changes not adopted at plenary may be resubmitted under the following conditions: • A new justification and rationale are provided and • A resolution is passed at an Area meeting to include the proposed change in the review and approval process, or • Through the regular resolution process, where the mover must seek approval at the session to include the proposed change in the review and approval process

The Disciplines List: a constant work in progress • New cycle began in Feb 2012

Questions? ?