Thursday, November 7, 1996

Friday, November 8, 1996

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of the California State University support the role of the Academic Council on International Programs in recommending international program fees and urge ACIP to continue to act in conformance with Section 10 of the Board of Trustees Policy Statement on CSU International Programs, "The cost to the student shall be the lowest compatible with the requirements of a successful academic program abroad."; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU endorse the proposed amendments to the Trustees' Policy Statement on CSU International Programs and urge the Board of Trustees to approve these proposed amendments with the modification that the proposed new third sentence of Section 10 of the Board of Trustees Policy Statement on CSU International Programs, "The Chancellor shall, with appropriate consultation, determine and implement such fees and charges in the International Programs as may be required to sustain the high quality academic offerings of the International Programs and the provision of appropriate services for its participants," include specific consultation with the Academic Council on International Programs; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU urge the Chancellor to interpret the first sentence of Section 10 of the Board of Trustees Policy Statement on CSU International Programs, "The International Programs shall be supported by State funds to the extent that such funds would have been required for comparable students had they continued to study in California." as meaning support equivalent to the campus average general fund support per FTES ($5,815 in FY 95-96); and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU urge the Chancellor to revise the practice that International Programs rebate to campuses the campus-based mandatory or other miscellaneous fees for the period of time that a student is enrolled in a CSU international program so that students do not pay duplicate health and student activity fees; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU urge the Chancellor in consultation with the Academic Council on International Programs to establish a schedule of miscellaneous fees as a component of the International Program Fee to cover necessary services, such as the health and student activity requirements of IP students, and to collect, in addition to the academic program fee component, only an amount necessary to cover those services.

RATIONALE: The role of the Academic Council on International Programs is clearly identified in Section 2 of the CSU Board of Trustees' Policy Statement on International Programs as the primary faculty recommending body in matters dealing with CSU international programs. Thus the elaboration of the new third sentence of Section 10 to specifically include consultation with ACIP is consistent with past and present policy.

The Academic Senate believes that the cost and funding principles contained in the CSU Board of Trustees Policy Statement on International Programs, originally passed in 1969 and amended in 1976, remain sound. These principles are:

1. "The cost to the student shall be the lowest compatible with the requirements of a successful academic program abroad" (Section 10 first sentence), and

2. "The International Programs shall be supported by State funds to the extent that such funds would have been required for comparable students had they continued to study in California" (Section 10; first sentence).

However, in recent years International Programs has not received state general funds at a "comparable" level. In FY 1995-96, IP received a general fund allocation of $1,911,577 to support 414.7 FTES, or $4,610 per FTES. Current budget planning for FY 1996-97 allocates $2,059,208 in general funds to support 429 FTES, or $4,800 per FTES. These figures are considerably below the system campus general fund support per FTES of $5,503 in FY 94-95. (The FY 95-96 average is likely to be higher.) Indeed, IP is being underfunded in state general fund support for the coming academic year by at least $700 per FTES.

As a result, International Programs has been forced to impose an international program fee which is higher than the average campus fee (State University Fee plus miscellaneous campus fees for 1995-96) of $1,891. The IP fee charged in 1995-96 was $2,750 and the fee planned by 1996-97 is $2,640. The difference between the IP fee and the campus average fee ($749) is roughly equal to the deficit in state general fund support ($700). We believe that this shifting of cost from the general fund to students is not in the spirit of the Trustees' Policy.

Some may argue that CSU International Programs serves a particular cohort of CSU students who can afford the extra cost of studying abroad. It is true that students must provide the costs of their transportation and living expenses in a foreign country. However, these costs vary considerably; Japan is very expensive, Mexico is relatively cheap. It is also true that the majority of students participating in International Programs qualify for and receive some form of financial aid from their home campuses.

The Academic Senate believe that access to CSU International Programs should be as broad as possible. The benefits of an international experience in an educational program can enrich all students regardless of background and prior experience. To withhold comparable state support and impose higher fees upon prospective IP students prejudges access to these valuable programs.

The Academic Senate also believe that students enrolled in International Programs in residence in a foreign country, should not have to pay campus fees for services from which they cannot derive benefit. For example, health services fees cannot benefit students who are physically removed from their home campuses. The Academic Senate believe that these fees should be used instead to provide for the health needs of students at the international centers. Likewise, instructionally related activities fees, and student body center or association fees do not appear to benefit IP students. Where IP provides no analog services for these miscellaneous fees, they should not be collected. Students should pay miscellaneous fees only for the services that they actually receive.

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of the California State University endorse the statement, "CSU Education Deans Commit to K-3 Teacher Initiative," which applauds California's move to reduce class size in grades K-3 grades; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU support the Education Deans' position that:

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU support the actions identified in the CSU Deans of Education Statement to address the current need for additional teachers to meet the K-3 class size reduction, with the understanding that the CSU faculty will play the primary role in developing such programs.

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of the California State University commend the Institute for Education Reform for initiating the research and producing the report, "A State of Emergency... In A State of Emergency Teachers"; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU express its alarm at the erosion of teacher preparation standards through the dramatic increase in the number of teachers with emergency permits, particularly in California's urban areas and in challenging subject areas such as special education and mathematics, as indicated by the data in the Report; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU support the recommendations contained in the report, "A State of Emergency... In A State of Emergency Teachers" and urge the Chancellor to use his influence with the Governor, the Legislature , the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) and school districts served by the CSU to implement the recommendations; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU encourage campus administrators and those faculty who teach courses required in approved credential programs, to increase the flexibility of scheduling such courses so that credential programs can be completed in a timely manner; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU encourage campus senates to give this report wide distribution and enter into the necessary dialogue that will influence the implementation of the recommendations in the Report.

RATIONALE: The report, "A State of Emergency . . . In A State of Emergency Teachers," while disturbing in its message, is a vehicle for important dialogue with decision-makers in California. It is imperative that the CSU do all it can to immediately place limits on the issuance of emergency permits and to plan toward the elimination of this practice.

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of the California State University receive the draft report, "Information Resources and Library Services for Distance Learners: A Framework for Quality," produced by the CSU, SUNY, and CUNY Joint Committee without taking a position on it, and call for a comprehensive look at distance education issues; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU strongly recommend that if the document is printed and distributed it should clearly state that it is for discussion purposes. There should be no implication that it is intended to be the basis for policy.

RATIONALE: There are some major flaws in the document and a fuller exploration of the full scope of the subject is desirable. No budgetary decisions should be taken in the CSU based on this document as it now reads. Although the principles recommended in the document are provocative, we find it difficult to trace a clear connection between them and a solid notion of a library. It would have been less confusing to a reader not privy to the discussions producing the document, if it indicated how a library geared to address the demands of distance learners is compatible with the traditional model. Specifically: 1) Many of the suggestions contained in the scenarios are now performed by other entities on campus and should not become an additional burden on the library at a time bona fide responsibilities specific to the task of distance learning are being determined. 2) References to significant realignment of the university budget to fund information resources and library services for distance learners are vague. 3) "Work for hire" discussion pertinent to one system may not apply universally to all university systems. 4) A document intended to serve as "a blueprint for policy development or updating existing guidelines..." should be more precise.

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of the California State University receive the draft report, " The Academic Library in the Information Age: Changing Roles," produced by the CSU-SUNY-CUNY Joint Committee, calling for a statement on the new and evolving role for the librarian in the information age.

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU strongly recommend that if the document is printed and distributed it should clearly state that it is for discussion purposes. There should be no implication that it is intended to be the basis for policy.

RATIONALE: We commend the insightful and thought provoking comments contained in this document about the changing roles of the new academic library, but also wish to express our concerns regarding the document's focus and the issues contained therein.

The Academic Senate CSU expresses reservations that the authors of this document have not sufficiently articulated the role of the faculty in the development of the new academic library.

1. Our first concern is the belief that the document places too much emphasis on the role of developing the virtual library with the clear implication that space and physical facilities are no longer an important budget concern in the arena of the new information age (pg. 9, para. 1).

2. We are also concerned about the level of training provided to the paraprofessional library staff assigned to assist the librarian in the new academic library. There are numerous references in this report to the plan of staffing the new virtual library with non-librarian degree personnel (pg. 11, para. 2).

3. Our third concern relates to the increased emphasis placed on the new role of the librarians as teachers, course designers and mentors of students and how they will "partner" with the faculty in accomplishing these goals (pg. 20, para 3).

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of the California State University approve and adopt the Statement on Competencies in Mathematics Expected of Entering College Students, as drafted by the Intersegmental Committee of the Academic Senates of the California Community Colleges, The California State University, and the University of California; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU commend the committee for including in its membership, representatives from K-12, and the Department of Education; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU applaud this effort on the part of the Committee to Revise the Statement on Competencies in Mathematics Expected of Entering Freshmen, for its efforts to open the lines of communication between the four segments as they worked together on the drafting of this statement; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU pledge to maintain these open lines of communication, and to continue to work with our colleagues in K-12 during the implementation of the statement of expectations of entering freshmen; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU encourage campus senates to give this document wide distribution and enter into the necessary dialogue that will influence assessment of the understanding of mathematics by incoming CSU students.

RATIONALE: The Statement of Competencies in Mathematics Expected of Entering College Students was drafted with full participation of the CSU, UC, CCC, K-12, and the Department of Education. The statement, which is in agreement with the Content Standards in English and Mathematics for High School Graduates, makes a strong case for a balance between basic skills, problem solving, and conceptual understanding, in the teaching of precollegiate mathematics. The Committee to Revise the Statement on Competencies in Mathematics Expected of Entering College Students stressed the importance of additional study in mathematics when they stated,

"For proper preparation for baccalaureate level course work, all students should be enrolled in a mathematics course in every semester of high school. It is particularly important that students take mathematics courses in their senior year of high school, even if they have completed three years of college preparatory mathematics by the end of their junior year. Experience has shown that students who take a hiatus from the study of mathematics in high school are very often unprepared for courses of a quantitative nature in college and are unable to continue in these courses without remediation in mathematics."

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of the California State University endorse the draft report of the Task Force on Mathematics Graduation Standards (sponsored by the California Education Round Table) entitled "Content Standards in Mathematics for High School Graduates"; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU urge the Chancellor to work with the California Education Round Table to insure the implementation of the draft report on the "Content Standards in Mathematics for High School Graduates"; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU commend the Task Force on Mathematics Graduation Standards for its cooperative spirit involving the four segments of education (UC, CSU, CCC and K-12) as well as representatives from the community and for the development of the draft report, "Content Standards in Mathematics for High School Graduates."

RATIONALE: The California Education Round Table (CERT), composed of leaders of leaders of education in California, has called for a consensus on standards of knowledge and skill in English and mathematics which all students should demonstrate by the time they have completed their secondary education. < Toward that end, CERT, acting through the Intersegmental Coordinating Committee, appointed two task forces considered to be representative of the interests of parents, the community, business, teachers, administrators, and faculty members from higher education. The task forces were charged with presenting standards for high school graduation. CERT anticipates that implementation of these standards will reduce or eliminate the need for remedial instruction in English and mathematics in both the workplace and in post-secondary education.

The two task forces have completed drafts of their statements on content standards and are now soliciting comment prior to completion of final drafts to be delivered to CERT in late 1996.

Although the goal of the Task Force on Mathematics Graduation Standards was to develop standards expected for all graduates from high school, they did delineate between these standards and those that are expected of college-bound students. Indeed, college-bound students will take additional college preparatory courses in mathematics. College-bound students will be expected to perform at a higher level, i.e., "...have greater facility and fluency with the basic techniques of mathematics, a deeper understanding of the underlying concepts and the logical reasoning that is central to mathematics." (p. 23)