Reasserting Faculty Control of Curricula Regardless of
Delivery Mode

AS-3081-12/FA/AA

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of the California State University (ASCSU) reassert that the quality of the curriculum for academic credit, including technology-mediated courses and online courses, remain the purview of the faculty individually and collectively; and be it further

RESOLVED: That as part of its purview, the faculty reserve the right to determine the most appropriate delivery modes for degrees, programs, courses or parts thereof whether that delivery mode be traditional classroom, online, or other methods of instruction;
and be it further

RESOLVED: That the faculty be engaged in establishing the appropriate standards for admission to
and completion of academic programs regardless of delivery method; and be it further

RESOLVED: That as part of its responsibility for ensuring the quality of the academic programs delivered, the faculty play an active role in deciding which courses are to be taught by whom and to evaluate teaching performance within the existing structures for retention, tenure and promotion; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the ASCSU request that the Office of the Chancellor remind campus presidents that the authority to make alterations to curricula is vested in the faculty and that campus administrators should refrain from altering course capacities or modes of instruction without following established campus curricular policies and procedures; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the ASCSU request that the Cal State Online Advisory Board work with faculty to ensure that faculty play their designated part in overseeing curriculum and program quality; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the ASCSU distribute this resolution to the Office of the Chancellor, campus Presidents, Provosts/Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs, Cal State Online Advisory Board, and campus senate chairs.

RATIONALE: In light of the recent decision of the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees to authorize the Cal State Online Initiative, it is critical to reassert that the main goal of any instruction is to further the educational achievement of students. Thus, the faculty need to play a pivotal role in ensuring that quality of instruction and its outcomes remain consistently within its traditional purview and consistent with the mission of the CSU. Therefore, regardless of delivery method, faculty must lead decisions concerning all traditional areas for which it has been responsible. These include course content, degree requirements, instructional staffing, support, and evaluation.

For several years, the CSU has been faced with enrollment challenges that significantly exceeded enrollment growth funding provided by the state. At the same time, campuses are experiencing a period of diminishing resources. To accommodate these realities campuses have employed a number of stop-gap measures including altering the mode of instructional delivery for assorted courses and programs, and/or arbitrarily raising the enrollment caps on sections, and/or strongly encouraging faculty to accept additional students. While budget constraints present many challenges, faculty control over instructional quality dictates that any such changes go through appropriate campus channels to allow for appropriate faculty oversight.

Prior resolutions addressing this issue are:
AS-2871-08/AA (Rev), Quality Assurance in Technology Mediated Course Offerings
AS-2892-09/FA, Faculty Control Over Course Capacities and Mode of Instruction Decisions
AS-3050-11/EX, The Faculty Role and Campus Participation in the California State University (CSU) Online Initiative

Approved Unanimously – May 3-4, 2012