Coding to Ensure Quality – Deciphering Minimum

Qualifications and Equivalence

Dan Crump, American River CollegeMichelle Pilati, Rio Hondo College

Overview

• Minimum Qualifications• Disciplines List process • Equivalency• Eminence• Assigning courses to a discipline

The Pieces of the Puzzle

Disciplines List

Placement of Courses in

Disciplines

Faculty Service Areas

MinimumQualifications

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?• 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 & non-credit) 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 CoursesWhen 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.