Transcript The Disciplines List

Coding to Ensure Quality –
Deciphering Minimum
Qualifications and
Equivalence
Dan Crump, American River College
Michelle Pilati, Rio Hondo College
Overview
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Minimum Qualifications
Disciplines List process
Equivalency
Eminence
Assigning courses to a discipline
The Pieces of the Puzzle
Minimum
Qualifications
Faculty
Service
Areas
Disciplines
List
Placement of
Courses in
Disciplines
What are “Minimum
Qualifications”?
• The state, through the Board of
Governors, establishes “minimum
qualifications” for teaching any credit or
noncredit course, or working 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)
Local Minimum Qualifications
• A district may establish additional
qualifications which are more rigorous
than the state-established MQs.
• However, local MQs cannot be less
rigorous than the state-established
MQs.
The Disciplines List
The Disciplines List
Currently, disciplines are organized into
two separate lists
1. Disciplines requiring a Master’s
Degree
2. Disciplines in which a Master’s
Degree is not generally expected
or available
The Disciplines List
• A new approach to the “list” will soon
be recommended to the BoG for
adoption (Resolution 10.01, Spring 2008)
• A separate list for non-credit also
exists (Title 5 § 53412)
The Disciplines List
• 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 at Session
– Makes recommendations to BoG
The Disciplines List
• “Minimum Standards for Faculty and
Administrators in California Community
Colleges.”
• The current edition is dated February 2008
and available at:
http://www.cccco.edu/Portals/4/minimum_
quals_jan2008.doc
MQs Vs Equivalencies
• MQs are established at the state
level, but may be increased
locally.
• Equivalencies are established
locally and represent alternative
means of meeting or exceeding
MQs.
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)
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)
• Legal Opinion from Ralph Black, System
Office Legal Counsel
• Faculty are hired to teach a discipline,
not a course
What is “eminence”?
• May 2008 Rostrum –
“Eminence—Do I Know It When
I See It?”
• “Many districts recognize
eminence as a basis for granting
equivalency. Although eminence
is not specified in current law, it
is not prohibited and has been
established in many districts.”
Eminence – Some ideas
• Note – NOT endorsed or adopted by
Academic Senate for the California
Community Colleges
• State champions in competition
• National winner (e.g. winner of TVs
“Dancing with the Stars”)
• Prize Winners (e.g. chefs, authors, actors)
• High Pass Rate in State or National Exams
• World famous in the field
Eminence - Sample
• Note – NOT endorsed or adopted by
ASCCC
• *Eminence may include: National
certification or recognition; publications;
research; 6 years of full-time college
teaching experience; 6 years of full-time
professional experience in the field; or as
otherwise determined by the division Dean
and the division academic senator.
Are there really that many eminent
folks out there?
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Grant Equivalency Based on Eminence to XX to teach ETNC 16/POLS 16
African-Americans in American Government, effective Fall 2007.
c) Grant Equivalency Based on Eminence to XX to teach DANC 96.18
Special Topics: Choreographic Approaches Using Improvisation, effective
Fall 2007.
d) Grant Equivalency Based on Eminence to XX to teach HLTH 4 Healthy
Living, effective Fall 2007.
e) Grant Equivalency Based on Eminence to XX to teach MEDA 100
Introduction to Health Careers, effective Fall 2007.
f) Grant Equivalency Based on Eminence to XX to teach ENSL 324/424
Beginning Conversation II, effective Fall 2007.
g) Grant Equivalency Based on Eminence to XX to teach CSIS 196.9
Special Topics: Introduction to MS VISTA and Office 2007, effective Fall
2007.
h) Grant Equivalency Based on Eminence to XX to teach AUTO 101 Engine
Repair, effective Fall 2007.
Eminence
• Plusses and
minuses?
So….
• Faculty meet minimum qualifications in a
discipline
• A course must be placed in a discipline (or
more than one discipline) in order to
determine who is qualified to teach it
• Only those faculty who meet minimum
qualifications for a discipline can teach
courses assigned to that discipline
Placement of Courses in
Disciplines
• Local senates maintain responsibility for
placing courses in disciplines – per Title 5
Academic and professional matters
includes (as first area) “curriculum including
establishing prerequisites and placement of
courses within disciplines” (Title 5 § 53200)
Placement of Courses in
Disciplines
• Required for all courses (credit & noncredit) for which campus receives
apportionment
• Not required for community service
courses
• Suggestion: Include discipline
designations on all course outlines
• What do you do now?
Placement of Courses in
Disciplines
• For most courses, this is simple.
• Psychology 101 is placed in psychology,
Sociology 101 in sociology, etc..
• When does it get murky?
– Biological Psychology
– Social Psychology
Cross-listing Courses
• Reason:
–Course fits more than one
discipline
• Advantage:
–Individual with MQs in either
discipline would be qualified to
teach the course
Cross-listing Courses
• Examples:
– Economic History of the U.S.
• May be cross-listed with Economics and
History disciplines and taught by faculty
member with MQs for Economics or History
– Speech Communication 140 & Journalism 140
• Course may be taught by faculty member
with MQs for Journalism or
Speech/Communication
• Potential Concerns:
– May impact articulation agreements
– May affect “bumping rights”
Interdisciplinary Courses
When to be considered?
• Course clearly does not fall within a
single discipline
• It combines two or more disciplines
to such a degree that some
preparation in each constituent
discipline is required
Interdisciplinary Courses
• More specialized preparation required than
with cross-listed courses
• Interdisciplinary Studies: Master’s in the
interdisciplinary area OR Master’s in one
of the disciplines included in the
interdisciplinary area and upper division
or graduate course work in at least one
other constituent discipline.
Interdisciplinary Courses
• More specialized preparation required than with
cross-listed courses
• If “Western Civilization” listed as Interdisciplinary
• Components may be art, philosophy, literature
– therefore Instructor qualifications require
some preparation in each area
• Qualifications must be based on course
description of record
Principles on Placement of
Courses
• The guiding principle is course
content, not personnel issues or
FTEs
• Base decision to place a course in a
discipline on the body of knowledge
necessary to teach the course
• A decision of the local curriculum
committee---a decision of the faculty
Principles on Placement of
Courses
• Regardless of the local situation,
discipline faculty need to be involved in
assignment of courses to disciplines.
• Remember:
Not all programs or department titles
are disciplines – Use the approved
Disciplines List
Principles on Placement of
Courses
• A process for placement is needed,
as well as a means of mediating
disputes
• College vs. District
• If each college has its own
curriculum, the placement of
courses may vary
• Local control
Principles on Placement of
Courses
• When making a decision, the course
content should be the driving force –
who is qualified to teach it?
• If Biological Psychology is assigned
to Psychology, all those with
Psychology minimum qualifications
should be able to teach it
Principles on Placement of
Courses
• If there is no process for placing
courses in disciplines, one is needed
• Local control/Faculty control
• Keep in mind ramifications – if you
determine that a course is
interdisciplinary, will anyone be able
to teach it?
Resources
• Equivalence to the Minimum Qualifications.
ASCCC. 2006.
• Qualifications for Faculty Service in the
California Community Colleges: minimum
qualifications, placement of courses within
disciplines, and faculty service areas. ASCCC.
2004.
• Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and
Administrators in California Community
Colleges. Chancellor’s Office. 2008.