CSU | AS-2570-02/TEKR | Resolutions

Oversight of the Continuation of CalStateTEACH

AS-2570-02/TEKR - May 2-3, 2002

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of the California State University (CSU) commend the faculty and administrators who have implemented CalStateTEACH for the high quality and excellent results of the program to date; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the essential elements for successful continuation of the CalStateTEACH program are the maintenance of centralized curriculum development, approval, and quality control mechanisms; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the ongoing implementation and refinement of the program, including any curriculum or programmatic change, be reviewed and approved by a faculty group appointed by the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate CSU; and be it further

RESOLVED: That this faculty group report at least twice annually to the Academic Senate CSU; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU receive regular reports of administrative and programmatic operations, including reports on student-faculty ratios and other matters related to workload and resource allocation, to ensure adequate accountability for this important and high profile program; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the participation of any campus offering the program, as a lead campus, is dependent upon the approval by the faculty of that campus through shared governance and curriculum approval processes established by the academic senate of that campus; and be it further

RESOLVED: That approval of this resolution is not an endorsement of any future systemwide programs that involve curricula, degrees, or credentials.

RATIONALE: The CalStateTEACH curriculum was designed and refined by a statewide group of faculty with exceptional expertise and commitment. The program was approved by the Academic Senate of the California State University (CSU) for implementation for the three years on an experimental basis, with the proviso that individuals responsible for the program report to the Senate on a frequent basis, through the Committee on Teacher Education and K-12 Relations (TEKR), on the ongoing implementation and refinement of the program (AS-2450-99). Centralized implementation strategies and quality control mechanisms were consistently applied. CalStateTEACH has operated for three years on this trial basis with extraordinary success, and those responsible for the program consulted with and reported regularly to TEKR. The Senate has long recognized that its own policy committee is not the appropriate faculty body to exercise responsibility for a statewide curriculum and that a formal faculty committee dedicated to such oversight is required to ensure appropriate faculty control and responsibility for the curriculum. While advice and consultation were also provided by an advisory committee of CSU faculty and administrators, this did not provide an adequate degree of faculty oversight. The student-faculty ratio recommended by AS-2450-99 (attached) has been consistently exceeded, and other important indicators of workload have also been cause for concern.

Additionally, consistent with the principle of faculty oversight of the curriculum as expressed in AS-2450-99, faculty on participating campuses must be fully involved in approval of the curriculum and programmatic offerings of their own.

APPROVED WITHOUT DISSENT - May 2-3, 2002