18 Units in the Major: Too Many or Too Few? Beth Smith, Chair, Counseling Library Faculty Issues Committee Janice Johnson, Grossmont College Miles Vega, Porterville College ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges form a task force, including transfer center directors and articulation officers, to conduct a focused study regarding the 18 semester units in the major/area of emphasis for an associate degree and report its findings and recommendations at the Spring 2012 Plenary Session. ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

What is the Right Proportion? ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

ASCCC Positions by Year: 1979 ◦ No more than 10% of the total units in a degree may be remedial units in basic skills and cannot be used to satisfy GE requirements. ◦ The number of GE units should be equal to one- third of the total units required for the associate degree. ◦ Formulate criteria for inclusion of courses within the GE pattern. ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

1981 Colleges were urged to designate the major field on diplomas for all associate degrees. Define the Associate of Technology Degree which includes a major of 40 or more units. Recommend a separate 3 unit course in American Institutions as a graduation requirement. Remediate basic skills deficiencies before students enroll in transfer courses or degree programs. ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

1983 Recommend that the associate degree applicable mathematics courses include those above and including Elementary Algebra, and after Fall 1986, include those above and including Intermediate Algebra ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

1984 Confer with the chief instructional officers about creating an associate degree for transfer and an applied associate degree ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

1985 Recommend establishing two degrees: ◦ Associate Degree 1: 35 major units and 21 GE ◦ Associate Degree 2: 21 major units and 35 GE Only the associate of arts and associate of science be offered in California community colleges ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

1986 Propose that an associate of arts contain 39 units of GE modeled on CSU and UC requirements and 15 units in a concentrated area Propose that an associate in science contain 24 units of GE and at least 30 units in the major field Oppose creation of the Applied Science Degree ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

Existing in Regulation units required in GE ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

1983 Title 5 §55806 (Old number so don’t look for it now) ◦ 60 units ◦ At least 18 units in GE ◦ At least 18 units in a major ◦ No double counting (a course that could fulfill both GE and major requirements) ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

1985 Board of Governors approved two types of courses: degree applicable and non-degree applicable in order to strengthen the associate degree ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

1995 Title 5 §55805 (old number) ◦ “…The awarding of an associate degree is intended to represent more than an accumulation of units… the student shall possess sufficient depth in some field of knowledge to contribute to lifetime interest.” ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

Task Force on Academic Quality: 1986 Recommends that certificate programs be defined so that “students have the option to add on GE requirements if they desire an associate degree Work with the [CSU] to accept the AA degree as sufficient academic preparation for transfer with standing at the junior level, including the recognition of special degrees for this purpose, and develop common core GE ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

Chancellor’s Office Proposal 1999 Conduct a survey to see if degrees based on GE transfer requirements is useful Also consider that major preparation takes precedence for many students over GE requirements Possibly label this degree as an “Associate in Arts degree in University Studies” Consider granting the degree with only 56 units as required for transfer (at that time) No local graduation requirements ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

Also from the Chancellor’s Office in 1999 Resurrected the idea of the Associate of Applied Science Degree Wanted to consider two degrees: ◦ 18 units of GE and 30 units in the major ◦ 30 units of GE and 18 units in the major ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

What Does An Associate Degree Mean? Are there too many associate degrees? Can students and employers understand the variations in order to associate value with such a degree? Does this lack of standardization or coherence minimize or trivialize the associate degree? Does the word “associate” imply that it is a companion to something greater, such as the bachelor’s degree? ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011

Given the History – Where do we go from here? ASCCC Fall Plenary 2011