The Disciplines List: An Overview

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The Disciplines List An Overview

• Academic Senate for CA Community
• Colleges
• Leadership Institute

Revised 6/16/04
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Topics Discussed in this Session

• Historical Overview Applicable Legislation
• Disciplines List Minimum Qualifications
• Equivalencies
• Placement of Courses within Disciplines
• FSAs (Faculty Service Areas)

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Session Objectives

• Describe the inter-relationship between
• The Disciplines List
• Minimum Qualifications
• Placement of Courses in Disciplines
• Discuss regulations professional responsibility
  related to
• Educational preparation of Faculty MQs
• Hiring Criteria
• Assignment to teach specific courses
• Identify requirements related to granting
  Equivalency
• Legal Definition
• Faculty Responsibilities
• Problems and Possible Alternatives

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Session Objectives, cont.

• Explain how Placement of courses in Disciplines
• Should be determined
• Influences faculty assignment
• May impact course articulation
• Discuss implications of faculty assignment to
  FSAs
• Impact on FTF vs. PTF
• Wide vs. Narrow FSAs
• Concept of qualified vs. competent in a
  Discipline
• Share Information from Session with Colleagues!

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A Brief History

• Community College Reform Bill (AB1725)
• Passed in September 1988
• Effected Numerous Changes in Ed. Code Title 5
• Role in determining qualifications of faculty
• Expertise in Disciplines vs. K-12 model
• Disciplines List replaced Credentials
• Minimum Qualifications (MQs) established to
  determine qualifications for faculty service in
  each discipline
• Note Lifetime Credentials are still Valid

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Development of Disciplines List

• Preparation Maintenance of Disciplines List
  assigned to Academic Senate (Ed. Code 87357)
• Works through local senates
• Consults with statewide organizations
• Makes recommendations to Board of Governors
• Disciplines organized into two Lists
• Disciplines requiring a Masters Degree
• Disciplines in which a Masters Degree is not
  generally expected or available
• Note A separate list for non-credit also exists
  (Title 5 53412)

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Development of Disciplines List, cont.

• Board of Governors Approves List
• Must rely primarily on the advice and judgment
  of the Academic Senate
• Reviewed Revised every 3 years
• Recommendations from next review scheduled for
  Spring 2005
• This review and revision process has already
  begun
• Used for Hiring Faculty Placing Courses in
  Disciplines

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A Few Applicable Regulations

• Degrees credits from accredited institutions
  (Title 5 53406)
• Occupational license or certificate required in
  certain programs (Title 5 53417)
• Professional License may substitute for MQs in
  selected disciplines (Accounting, Counseling,
  etc.)
• Regulations include specific MQ requirements for
• Health Services Personnel
• Non-credit Instructors
• Apprenticeship instructors
• DSPS personnel
• EOPS personnel
• Learning Assistance and Tutoring Coordinators
• Work Experience Coordinators.

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Applicable Regulations, cont.

• When Disciplines List requires a masters, a
  degree beyond the masters also satisfies
  requirement
• MQs in discipline are same whether position is
  FTF or PTF
• District may hire person who possesses
  qualifications different from but equivalent to
  those on Disciplines List
• Equivalency criteria and procedures agreed upon
  by governing board and local senate (Title 5
  53430)

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Locally Established Requirements

• Local requirements may be higher
• MQs reflect statewide minimums for persons to be
  considered qualified in a discipline
• Districts may establish additional qualifications
  more rigorous than those listed on Disciplines
  List
• Consider impact of raising MQs on candidate pools
• Potential violation of EEOC Guidelines
• Suggest listing additional qualifications as
  Preferred

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Examples of Minimum Qualifications

• Masters List
• Anthropology Masters in anthropology or
  archaeology OR Bachelors in either of the above
  AND Masters in sociology, biological sciences,
  forensic sciences, genetics or paleontology OR
  The equivalent.
• Non Masters List
• -Any bachelors degree and two years of
  experience, or any associate degree and six years
  of experience.
• -All disciplines on this list reflect this MQ
• Remember Individuals with lifetime credentials
  are not required to meet MQs. They are
  grandparented may teach in subject area
  covered by the credential.

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Equivalency

• What is Equivalency?
• Phrase OR the equivalent under each discipline
• Allows hiring faculty without exact degrees
  listed
• (Ed Code 87359, Title 5 53430)
• Intended Uses of Equivalency
• Substitute degree with different name
• (i.e. Literary Studies substituted for
  English)
• Eminence in a field (i.e. artists, authors)
• Professional/Occupational Experience in
  Vocational Area
• Limited to Non-Masters list
• Teaching Experience not included (Title 5
  53404)

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Equivalency Legal Requirements

• Qualifications must be at least equivalent
• No one may be hired to serve as a community
  college faculty member unless the governing
  board determines that he or she possesses
  qualifications that are at least equivalent to
  the minimum qualifications specified (Title 5
  53430)
• District Policies Practices re Equivalency
• Shall be developed and agreed upon jointly by
  representatives of the governing board and the
  academic senate and approved by the governing
  board (Ed Code 87359)

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What About Single-Course Equivalency?

• Violates underlying principles of MQs
• 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)
• Chancellors Office opinion A district is
  not authorized to establish a single-course
  equivalency as a substitute for meeting minimum
  qualifications in a discipline. (Legal Opinion
  L03-28, December 2003)
• Undermines commitment to the public.....
• That faculty have achieved the high degree of
  academic preparation and professional
  qualifications that we deem essential for quality
  instruction!

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Single-Course Equivalency.

• Frequently Cited Issues
• Difficulty attracting qualified candidates
• Allows someone with specific knowledge or skill
  to teach in a limited area
• Some faculty with less preparation may actually
  be better equipped to teach lower level students
  (i.e. Basic Skills)
• Potential Problems
• May lead to two-tiered system of qualified and
  not so well qualified faculty
• Possible inappropriate teaching assignments
• Individual may possess limited perspective of
  entire discipline
• May affect bumping rights
• The Bottom Line It Violates Intent of
  AB1725!!

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More on Single-Course Equivalency

• What Can Districts Do?
• Consider offering specific courses under a
  community service (not-for-credit) program or as
  noncredit.
• MQs for non-credit generally require a bachelors
  degree in the discipline
• Continue working to increase pool of qualified
  faculty
• Remember
• Faculty -- working through their senates -- have
  responsibility to control the equivalency
  process!
• See Senate paper on Equivalency to the MQs (1999)

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Placement of Courses in Disciplines

• Important Because
• Classifies courses by discipline
• Indicates preparation (MQs) required to teach
  courses
• Influences faculty hiring
• Local Senates Maintain Responsibility
• Academic and professional matters includes (as
  first area) curriculum including establishing
  prerequisites and placement of courses within
  disciplines (Title 5 53200)
• Required for all courses (credit non-credit)
  for which campus receives apportionment
• Not required for community service courses
• Suggestion Include discipline designations on
  all course outlines

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Cross-listing Courses

• Reason
• Course fits more than one discipline
• Advantage
• Individual with MQs in either discipline would be
  qualified to teach the course
• Examples
• Economic History of the U.S.
• May be cross-listed with Economics History 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

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Interdisciplinary Courses

• Requirements
• Course clearly does not fall within a single
  discipline
• Combines two or more disciplines to such a degree
  that some preparation in each constituent
  discipline is required
• More specialized preparation required than with
  cross-listed courses
• Interdisciplinary Studies Masters in the
  interdisciplinary area OR Masters in one of the
  disciplines included in the interdisciplinary
  area and upper division or graduate course work
  in at least one other constituent discipline.
  (p.7)
• Example
• 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

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Principles on Placement of Courses

• The guiding principle is course content, not
  personnel issues
• Base decision to place a course in a discipline
  on the body of knowledge necessary to teach the
  course
• A decision of Curriculum Committee
• Process varies depending on local academic senate
  policies and curricular issues
• 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 approved Disciplines List.

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Faculty Service Areas (FSAs)

• What Are They?
• Definition Faculty Service Area means a service
  or instructional subject area or group of related
  services or instructional service areas performed
  by faculty and established by a community college
  district
• (Ed Code, 87743.1)
• When Are They Used?
• In the event of a Reduction in staff (RIF)
• Usually Assigned _at_ Time of Hire
• Note Affect Contract faculty only

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Faculty Service Areas (FSAs), cont.

• Legal Responsibility
• Each district shall maintain a permanent record
  for each faculty member employed by the district
  of each faculty service area for which the
  faculty member possesses the minimum
  qualifications for service and in which he or she
  has established competency pursuant to district
  competency
• (Ed Code 87743.4)
• A Collective Bargaining Issue

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Faculty Service Areas (FSAs), cont.

• Why Are FSAs Important?
• Determines seniority and bumping rights among
  contract faculty if a reduction in staff
  becomes necessary
• What are the Requirements for FSAs?
• Legislation specifies that faculty member must be
  qualified and competent
• Qualified means meeting MQs for a discipline
• Competent means meeting district criteria to
  teach (or work) in the specified service or
  subject area

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How Are FSAs Established?

• Local District has Autonomy
• Determined by faculty
• Bargaining agent in consultation with academic
  senate
• May be Broad or Narrow
• e.g. disciplines, departments, divisions, or
  other broad categories
• May include Competency Requirement
• e.g. recency in discipline
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• Broad FSAs protect most senior faculty
• Narrow FSAs tend to protect integrity (currency)
  of the discipline

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Whats the Difference Between an MQ and an FSA?

• MQs determine qualifications for hiring faculty
• Are developed statewide
• Apply to all faculty (full and part-time)

• FSAs determine the order of layoff should a RIF
  become necessary
• Are developed locally
• Apply only to contract faculty

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In Summary, Are You Able to

• Describe the inter-relationship between
• The Disciplines List
• Minimum Qualifications
• Placement of Courses in Disciplines
• Discuss regulations professional responsibility
  related to
• Educational preparation of Faculty MQs
• Hiring Criteria
• Assignment to teach specific courses
• Identify requirements related to granting
  Equivalency
• Legal Definition
• Faculty Responsibilities
• Problems and Possible Alternatives

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In Summary, Are You Able to

• Explain how Placement of courses in Disciplines
• Should be determined
• Influences faculty assignment
• May impact course articulation
• Discuss implications of faculty assignment to
  FSAs
• How Developed When Faculty Members Assigned
• Impact on FTF vs. PTF
• Wide vs. Narrow FSAs
• Concept of qualified vs. competent in a
  Discipline
• Share Information from Session with Colleagues?

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Relevant Resource Documents

• Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and
  Administrators in CA Community Colleges
• (Human Resources Div. Chancellors Office,
  March 2003)
• Placement of Courses within Disciplines
• (Academic Senate, April 1994 currently
  in revision)
• Equivalence to the Minimum Qualifications
• (Academic Senate, Spring 1999)
• Qualifications for Faculty Service in CA
  Community Colleges MQs, Placement of Courses in
  Disciplines and FSAs
• (March 2004 - Draft in Session Packet)
• A Re-Examination of Faculty Hiring
• (Academic Senate, Fall 2000)
• Chancellors Office Curriculum Standards Handbook

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Questions and Comments?

• Please complete return Evaluations
• Resource materials from State Academic Senate
  Office are available on the website
  http//www.academicsenate.cc.ca.us
• If you have questions or comments, or if you
  would like a copy of this PowerPoint, please
  e-mail
• Mark_snowhite_at_eee.org
• or hanna_at_sbcc.edu
• Thanks for Coming!