Developing an ASCCC-Annotated Version of Program and Course Approval Handbook (PCAH)

Spring

2024

Resolution Number

101.03

Contact

Category

Curriculum

Whereas, California Education Code §66010.2 [1] states “The public elementary and secondary schools, the California Community Colleges, the California State University, the University of California, and independent institutions of higher education share goals designed to provide educational opportunity and success to the broadest possible range of our citizens, and shall provide the following:

Access to education, and the opportunity for educational success, for all qualified Californians. Particular efforts should be made with regard to those who are historically and currently underrepresented in both their graduation rates from secondary institutions and in their attendance at California higher educational institutions.
Quality teaching and programs of excellence for their students. This commitment to academic excellence shall provide all students the opportunity to address issues, including ethical issues, that are central to their full development as responsible citizens.
Educational equity not only through a diverse and representative student body and faculty but also through educational environments in which each person, regardless of race, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, or economic circumstances, has a reasonable chance to fully develop his or her potential.”;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges' commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism, and accessibility has been affirmed in the following resolutions: 07.02 S23 Ensuring Anti-racist California Community College Online Faculty Training Materials [2], 13.04 S23 Resolution in Support of Academic Freedom/Solidarity with Faculty Across the Nation [3], 01.01 F22 Adopt the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges Mission, Vision, and Values Statements that Include Anti-Racism [4], 03.01 F22 Advancing IDEAA in Guided Pathways [5], 07.05 F22 Incorporating Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-racism, and Accessibility (IDEAA) Principles Explicitly into Title 5, §53200 [6], 01.02 S22 Adding Anti-Racism to the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges’ Vision Statement [7], 03.01 S22 Develop and Publish an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism, and Accessibility (IDEAA) Liaison Handbook [8], 03.02 S22 Adopt the DEI in Curriculum Model Principles and Practices Framework [9], 19.01 S22 Cultural Humility Driving Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism, and Accessibility (IDEAA) Work [10], 03.02 S21 Establishing Local Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-racism (IDEA) Liaison [11];

Whereas, The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office is directed by California Code of Regulations Title 5 §55000.5 [12] to produce a handbook for program and course approval, known as the Program and Course Approval Handbook, currently in its 8th edition, and does not include guidance on integrating inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism, and accessibility (IDEAA) into specific elements such as credit and noncredit course and program development criteria, and the course outline of record; and

Whereas, For California community college faculty, authority over the curriculum is codified in California Education Code section 70902(b)(7) [13] stating that the governing board of each district shall establish procedures “to ensure faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to express their opinions at the campus level, to ensure that these opinions are given every reasonable consideration, to ensure the right to participate effectively in district and college governance, and to ensure the right of academic senates to assume primary responsibility for making recommendations in the areas of curriculum and academic standards.” and California Code of Regulations Title 5 §53200 [14] states the faculty authority for curriculum where the academic senate and its purview are defined;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) develop an ASCCC-annotated version of the Program and Course Approval Handbook (PCAH) providing guidance for integrating inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism, and accessibility (IDEAA) into courses, programs, and processes for curriculum review and approval, with specific annotations to occur in commonly referenced portions of the PCAH and including links and references to IDEAA resources such as the DEI in Curriculum: Model Principles and Practices [15] and the DEI in Praxis: Models for Culturally Responsive Curriculum [16] resources currently on the ASCCC website under “IDEAA Tools and Resources,” by Fall 2025 and disseminate widely.

MSU