FA23 Memo to CCC BOG re: Title 5

A: CCC stands for California Community Colleges, which is made up for 115 colleges throughout the state.

BOG stands for Board of Governors. According to their website, “the California Community Colleges is guided by a process of participatory governance, and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges sets policy and provides guidance for the 73 districts and 116 colleges that constitute the system. Board members are appointed by the Governor and formally interact with state and federal officials and other state organizations.”

Title 5 is the title in the California Code of Regulations pertaining to education in the state. Title 5 consists of 13 divisions. Division 6 covers California Community Colleges only.

A: Yes, the ASCCC adopted SP19 Resolution @ ASCCC which resolved “That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges explore possibilities for adding a requirement similar to the California State University’s United States History, Constitution and American Ideals Requirement to the associate’s degree requirements for the California Community Colleges.”

Additionally, the ASCCC adopted SP23 Resolution @ ASCCC which further resolved the body’s commitment to the American Institutions and Ideals requirement.

The ASCCC has not adopted a resolution that includes the specific amendments proposed in the memo.

A: We are proposing increase the total minimum number of units to earn a local Associate Degree from 21 semester units to 30 semester units.

We are not proposing reducing the minimum unit requirements for any other Associate Degree general education areas.

Instead of dividing the existing pie, we are proposing growing the pie by increasing the total minimum number of units.

California Community Colleges offer thousands of degree and certificate programs.

Only local Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees would be affected.

Across all colleges, 2,573 AA or AS degrees are offered.

420 of these 2,573 degree programs have major unit requirements greater than 30 units, while 2,153 degree programs have major unit requirements less than or equal to 30 units.

A program with major unit requirements greater than 30 units, and a legal requirement, regulatory obligation, or normative preference to maintain a 60-unit total degree requirement, may need to review and update their program.

A: Yes, there is at least 1 community college that has a standalone U.S. History requirement, at least 5 community colleges that have a standalone U.S. Government requirement, at least 2 community colleges that have both requirements, and at least 15 community colleges that have either/or as a requirement.

A: General Education requirements are the set of courses across a range of academic fields/disciplines that a student must complete to earn an Associate Degree or to transfer to a 4-year university.

There are typically three general education requirements at California community colleges, depending on a student’s academic goal to earn:

• 1) a local (i.e. college-specific) Associate Degree, and/or
• 2) transfer to the California State University (CSU), and/or
• 3) transfer to the University of California (UC).

Students with the goal of a earning a certificate typically do not need to complete the set of General Education courses, but students should consult with a counselor.

A: Yes, a local (i.e. college-specific) Associate Degree general education requirements are determined by the California Code of Regulations, Title 5 minimum requirements and local (i.e. college-specific) requirements determined by a college’s Curriculum Committee and Academic/Faculty Senate.

An Associate for Transfer Degree, which is a degree earned by students who intends to transfer to a California State University campus, specifies a set of courses required by an academic field/discipline. Then, the CSU Breadth General Education requirements become the de facto general education requirements for a student earning an Associate for Transfer Degree.

Finally, students who want to transfer to a University of California campus, complete their academic field/discipline’s specific courses (which can be related to an Associate for Transfer Degree, but not always directly related), and the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC for UC).

A: Thank you for reviewing the memo and the associated FAQ. Feel free to send additional questions to josue.franco@gcccd.edu.

A: Yes, community colleges already have the authority to adopt an American Institutions and Ideals requirement for your college’s local Associate Degree.

Working with your Curriculum Committee and Academic Senate, you would need to propose a change to your college’s local Associate Degree general education pattern to add an “American Institutions and Ideals” area that includes your college’s Introduction to U.S. History course and Introduction to U.S. Government course.

A: No, AB 928, the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act of 2021, does not constrain the California Community College’s from adopting amendments to California Code of Regulations Title 5 Associate Degree.

Students earning a local Associate Degree from a California Community College is not the same as a student earning an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT).

AB 928 mandated “the Intersegmental Committee of the Academic Senates of the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges shall establish a singular lower division general education pathway that meets the academic requirements necessary for transfer admission to both the California State University and University of California.”

This singular lower division general education pathway is now called Cal-GETC.

Cal-GETC is “the only lower division general education pathway used to determine academic eligibility and sufficient academic preparation for transfer admission to the California State University and the University of California.”

Additionally, AB 928 states that Cal-GETC “shall not lengthen the time-to-degree and shall not include more units than is required under the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum on July 31, 2021.” The units required under IGETC Version 2.2 on July 31, 2021, was 34 semester units.

Cal-GETC specifies that 11 courses (34 semester units) across 6 areas must be completed by a student earning an ADT.

CCC’s are proposing an Associate Degree General Education pathway which specifies that 7 courses (21 semester units) across 6 areas must be completed by a student earning a local Associate degree.

A: No, AB-705 Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012: matriculation: assessment nor AB-1705 Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012: matriculation: assessment constrain the CCC Associate Degree requirements.