Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC)

Reported by Dan Crump

The ASCCC Spring Plenary Session was held at the San Mateo Marriott from April 12-14. Elections for the Executive Committee for 2018-19 were held with the following results:

Special thanks to outgoing President Julie Bruno for her outstanding guidance and support in fostering a more established relationship between the ASCCC and the library/librarian community.

In addition to a wide variety of breakout topics, the Session delegates also vote on resolutions which guide the work of the ASCCC and provide guidance to the ASCCC leadership in their work with CCC partners (e.g. Board of Governors, Chancellor’s Office, CEOs, CIOs, CSSOs, CBOs, Student Senate). Resolutions discussed, debated, and voted upon by the delegates included such issues as the new Funding Formula, the Fully Online Community College, AB 705, and Guided Pathways. The text of the resolutions can be found on the ASCCC website (asccc.org) under Events/Plenary Sessions/Spring 2018/Resolutions.

The ASCCC recently held a highly successful Academic Academy on the topic of Guided Pathways. The resources and presentation materials from the Academy can be found on the ASCCC website under Events/Past Events/Academic Academy. I tried to mention libraries as much as possible and shared the materials from the CCL April workshops on Guided Pathways with several participants. Speaking of GP, congratulations to Cynthia Orozco, librarian from East Los Angeles College, who is a member of the ASCCC Guided Pathways Task Force.

As noted by Laura Hope, Executive Vice Chancellor of Education Services and Support, the Chancellor’s Office is establishing a regional support network to enhance guided pathways implementation.. This approach began in the Central Valley, already connected through the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC), and for the last six months, this area has benefitted from collaborative efforts between the colleges there and a Central Valley Guided Pathways Coordinator. As evidenced by the pilot in the Central Valley, the Chancellor’s Office is seeking six additional coordinators in the remaining regions: Bay Area, Los Angeles/Orange County, North/Far North, San Diego/Imperial, Inland Empire, and South Central Coast.

Primarily, the regional coordinators will function as connectors, leaders, trainers, and supporters in the regions to which they have been assigned. Guided pathways implementation will prompt unique challenges and opportunities for every college engaged in this effort. The coordinator is positioned to know those challenges and opportunities, animate resources, engage experts, facilitate collaboration and learning, and support progress. These appointments should be announced in the next month or so.

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