REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Meeting of the
Academic Standards and Policies Committee
 7351 Tompkins Hill Road, Eureka, LRC 107 (Conference Room)
 Fort Bragg: 440 Alger St (Fine Woodworking)
Friday, March 14, 2014
3 PM
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Introductions and Public Comment: Members of the audience are invited to make
comments regarding any subject appropriate to the Academic Standards and Policies
Committee.
3. Discussion Items, Connie Wolfsen
3.1.
Continue revisions to BP/AP 4020 Program and Curriculum Development
(Attachment)
3.2.
Review RCCD AP 4023 Definition of a Credit Hour and BP 2520
Responsibilities of the Academic Senate (Attachment)
3.3.
Review AP 4105 Distance Education (Attachment) and AP 7211 Faculty
Service Areas, Minimum Qualifications, and Equivalencies (Attachment) –
suggest adding content from the newly developed Certification Standards
for Online Instructors (Attachment) via the constituent review process.
4. Announcements/Open Forum
5. Adjournment
Public Notice—Nondiscrimination:
College of the Redwoods does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual
orientation, color or disability in any of its programs or activities. College of the Redwoods is committed to
providing reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. Upon request this publication will be made
available in alternate formats. Please contact Debbie Williams, Academic Senate Support, 7351 Tompkins Hill
Road, Eureka, CA 95501, (707) 476-4259, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except Wednesdays).
Next Meeting:
Friday, March 28, 2014
Revisions by ASPC through Feb. 28, 2014 March 14, 2014 ‐ ASPC REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Board of Trustees Policy
3.1 BP 4020 BP 4020
PROGRAM, CURRICULUM, AND COURSE DEVELOPMENT
The programs and curricula of the District shall be of high quality, relevant to community
and student needs, and evaluated regularly to ensure quality and currency. To this end,
the Board of Trustees directs the President/Superintendent and the Academic Senate to
establish procedures for the development and review of all curricular offerings, including
their initiation, development, modification, revitalization or discontinuation. These
procedures shall include:

Involvement of the faculty, administration, and Academic Senate regarding
program and curriculum initiation and development. The primary responsibility for
curriculum resides with the faculty and the advice and judgment of the Academic
Senate. Educational program initiation, development, modification, revitalization
or discontinuation is mutually agreed upon by the Board or its representative and
the Academic Senate.

Regular review and justification of programs and courses.

Opportunities for training of persons involved in their relevant areas of curriculum
development.

Consideration of labor market and other relevant information for career and
technical programs.

A mechanism to periodically report curriculum changes and results of program
review to the Board of Trustees for the purpose of institutional decision-making.
All new credit and noncredit courses, programs, certificates, and degrees must satisfy
the conditions authorized by Title 5 regulations, shall be approved by the Board of
Trustees, and shall be submitted to the California Community College Chancellor’s
Office for approval as required. In addition, all course and program deletions shall be
approved by the Board of Trustees.
Credit Hour
Consistent with federal regulations applicable to federal financial aid eligibility, the
District shall assess and designate each of its programs as either a “credit hour”
program or a “clock hour” program.
The President/Superintendent will establish procedures which:
 Prescribe the definition of “credit hour” consistent with applicable federal
regulations, as they apply to community college districts.
Page 2 of 13
Revisions by ASPC through Feb. 28, 2014 March 14, 2014 ‐ ASPC 

3.1 BP 4020 Assure that curriculum at the District complies with the definition of “credit hour”
or “clock hour,” where applicable.
Establish procedures for using a clock‐to‐credit hour conversion formula to
determine whether a credit hour program is eligible for federal financial aid.
The conversion formula is used to determine whether such a credit‐hour program has
an appropriate minimum number of clock hours of instruction for each credit hour it
claims.
Reference: Education Code Section 70901(b), 70902(b); 78016; Title 5, Section 51000,
51022, 55100, 55130, 55150
Adopted by Board of Trustees: 05/03/2011
Former Policy #104: “Curriculum Development,” Adopted by the Board of Trustees:
8/15/77
Amended: 9/9/91
Former Policy #122: “Educational Program Review,” Adopted by the Board of Trustees:
7/16/84
Amended: 11/4/91
Revised February 2014
Page 3 of 13
March 14, 2014 – ASPC REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Administrative Procedure
3.1 AP 4020 AP 4020
PROGRAM AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
The primary responsibility for the development, modification, and inactivation of curriculum resides with
the faculty and the advice and judgment of the Academic Senate. Educational program development,
modification, revitalization and discontinuation is mutually agreed upon by the Board or its representative
and the Academic Senate. The formal work of the curriculum process is performed and overseen by the
Curriculum Committee. The membership of the Curriculum Committee can be found in the Curriculum
Committee By-Laws. The formal work includes creating or modifying programs, degrees, or certificates
and developing and updating course outlines, including the identification of course learning outcomes,
course content, methods of student assessment and the use of a range of delivery systems and modes of
instruction.
As a standing committee of the Academic Senate, the Curriculum Committee is responsible for the review
and endorsement of curriculum in accordance with procedures set forth in the current California
Community Colleges Chancellor’ s Office Program and Course Approval Handbook. The Curriculum
Committee is also responsible for establishing and maintaining College of the Redwoods curricular
processes. These processes are found at the Curriculum Committee website.
Upon Curriculum Committee and Academic Senate approval, the Academic Senate recommendations are
forwarded by the Chief Instructional Officer to the Board of Trustees (BOT) at least once during each fall
and spring term for action.
The BOT recommendation(s) will be submitted to all required regulatory bodies for approval. New
programs and courses will be offered only after such approval has been obtained. Under the direction of
the CIO, the district shall keep program and course lists updated and publicly available. Chancellor’s
Office approved course information is published in the college’s catalog and in schedules.
The CIO, in mutual agreement with the Academic Senate, shall set timelines for regular review of
existing courses or programs as well as catalog cutoff dates. The Curriculum Committee shall publish its
calendar of meetings for the year and disseminate it to all departments and offices involved in the
curricular process.
Reference: Title 5 Sections 51021, 55000 et seq., and 55100 et seq.; Accreditation Standard II.A
Approved: 04/04/2011
Former Administrative Regulation #104.01, “Curriculum Development,” Approved: 5/86
Revised: 10/91 and 1/9/95, and
Former Administrative Regulation #122.01, “Program Review,” Approved: 6/6/94
Revised: 1/9/95; 4/6/98; and 4/5/04
Page 4 of 13
March 14, 2014 – ASPC
3.2 AP 4023
REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Administrative Procedure
DEFINITION OF A CREDIT HOUR
AP 4023
As defined in 34 CFR 600.2, College of the Redwoods has adopted the following definition of a
credit hour:
(1) An amount of work represented in the intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence
of student achievement that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of classroom or
direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week
for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of
work over a different amount of time.
(2) For other academic work leading to award of credit hours (such as internships, practica,
studio work) the award of credit hours will be based on an amount of work implied by the
paragraph before.
(3) For asynchronous online courses, where no classroom instruction takes place per se, the
assignment of credit hour will be based on the equivalent amount of work as represented by the
definition above. An existing face to face course may be taught in an online format for the same
credit hours provided the amount of work expected remains the same.
The Chief Instructional Officer (CIO) and the curriculum committee are charged with the
responsibility to ensure that the curriculum adheres to this requirement. The CIO and the
curriculum committee must make a reasonable determination that proposed assignment of credit
hours for new courses conforms to commonly accepted practice in higher education.
Reference: 34 CFR 600.2
Approved: 01/03/2012 Page 5 of 13
March 14, 2014 - ASPC
3.2 BP 2520
REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Board Policy
BP 2520
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ACADEMIC SENATE
The Board of Trustees (Board) recognizes the College of the Redwoods Academic Senate
as the organization formed in accordance with the California Code of Regulations Section
53200 to represent the faculty to the administration of the College and to the Board with
respect to academic and professional matters. Recognition of the Academic Senate
ensures that faculty have a formal and effective procedure for participating in the
development and implementation of District policies on academic and professional
matters.
The Board delegates to the President/Superintendent the authority to consult collegially
with the Academic Senate on these matters prior to making a recommendation to the
Board. The President/Superintendent will rely primarily upon the advice and judgment
of the Academic Senate and/or reach mutual agreement with the Academic Senate for the
designated academic and professional matters.
Primary Matters
1. Curriculum, including establishing prerequisites and placing courses within
disciplines
2. Degree and certificate requirements
3. Grading policies
4. Standards or policies regarding student preparation and success
5. Policies for faculty professional development activities
In these areas, the recommendations of the Academic Senate will normally be accepted.
Only in exceptional circumstances and for compelling reasons will the recommendations
not be accepted. If a recommendation is not accepted, the Board or the
President/Superintendent, upon request of the Academic Senate, will communicate its
reasons in writing.
Mutual Agreement Matters
1. Educational program development
2. District and College governance structures, as related to faculty roles
3. Faculty roles and involvement in accreditation processes, including self-study and
annual reports
4. Processes for program review
5. Processes for institutional planning and budget development
6. Other academic and professional matters as mutually agreed upon between the
Board and the Academic Senate.
In these areas, when agreement cannot be reached between the President/Superintendent
and the Academic Senate, existing policy shall remain in effect unless continuing with
1
Page 6 of 13
March 14, 2014 - ASPC
3.2 BP 2520
such policy exposes the district to legal liability or causes substantial fiscal hardship. In
cases where there is no existing policy, or in cases where the exposure to legal liability or
substantial fiscal hardship requires existing policy be changed, the Board and the
President/Superintendent will act, only after a good faith effort to reach agreement.
In addition to the specific responsibilities noted above, the Academic Senate is
responsible, after consultation with the President/Superintendent or his or her designee,
for making faculty appointments to all committees, task forces, or other groups dealing
with academic and professional matters.
Nothing in this policy is intended to preclude the Academic Senate from exercising its
right to present its views on any issue it deems appropriate directly to the Board at a
regularly scheduled meeting.
References:
Education Code 70902 (14), 87357, 87359, 87360, 87458, 87663, 87743.1, 87743.2
California Code of Regulations 53200, 53203, 51023.5, 51023.7
Adopted by the Board of Trustees: June 6, 1994
Amended: 6/4/2013
Former Board of Trustees Policy No. 203
2
Page 7 of 13
March 14, 2014
3.3 AP 7211
REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Administrative Procedure
AP 7211
FACULTY SERVICE AREAS, MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, AND EQUIVALENCIES
References:
Education Code Section 87001, 87003, 87359, and 87743.2
Title 5 Sections 53400 et seq.
Faculty Service Areas
Faculty service areas shall be established after negotiation and consultation as required by law
with the appropriate faculty representatives.
Minimum Qualifications
All faculty shall meet minimum qualifications established by the Board of Governors and
published in the Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and Administrators in California
Community Colleges (Minimum Qualifications Handbook), or shall possess qualifications that
are at least equivalent to the minimum qualifications set out in the regulations of the Board of
Governors.
Equivalencies
The Academic Senate’s Faculty Qualifications Committee is responsible for fulfilling the
requirement of Education Code Section 87359, which states that the equivalency process “shall
include reasonable procedures to ensure that the Board of Trustees relies primarily upon the
advice and judgment of the Academic Senate to determine that each individual employed under
the authority granted by the regulations possesses qualifications that are at least equivalent to the
applicable minimum qualification…” In order to ensure that the Board of Trustees relies
primarily on the advice and judgment of the Academic Senate, the Academic Senate Faculty
Qualifications Committee shall:
 Be available as a resource regarding equivalency determinations.
 Recommend all equivalency determinations.
 Further clarify the criteria to be used for determining equivalency.
 Ensure that careful records are kept of all equivalency determinations.
 Periodically review this procedure and recommend necessary changes to the Academic
Senate and Board of Trustees.
 In general, ensure that the equivalency process works well and meets the requirements of
the law.
Determination of Equivalencies – The following procedure is to be used to determine when an
applicant for a faculty position, although lacking the exact degree or experience specified in the
Disciplines List of the Board of Governors Minimum Qualifications Handbook that establishes
the minimum qualifications for hire, nonetheless does possess qualifications that are at least
Page 8 of 13
March 14, 2014
3.3 AP 7211
equivalent to those required by the Disciplines List Board of Governors. The procedure is
intended to ensure a fair and objective process for determining when an applicant has the
equivalent qualifications. It is not intended to grant waivers for lack of the required
qualifications.
Supporting documentation might include but not be limited to:
 A transcript showing that appropriate courses in general education and in the discipline
were successfully completed at a regionally accredited college or through an appropriate
foreign institution; and
 A review of the application and recommendation by the subject matter expert.
 Other evidence of sufficient mastery and currency of the discipline, such as publications,
portfolios, and appropriate professional experience; or
 Eminence in the field. (Refer to the Minimum Qualifications Handbook)
All faculty position announcements will state the required qualifications as specified by in the
Disciplines List Minimum Qualifications Handbook, including the possibility of meeting the
equivalent of the required degree or experience. District applications for faculty positions will
ask applicants to state whether they meet the minimum qualifications of the Disciplines List for
the discipline or whether they believe they meet the equivalent. Those claiming equivalency
will then be asked to state their reasons and to present evidence. It will be the responsibility of
the applicant to supply all evidence and documentation for the claim of equivalency at the time
of application.
Human Resources will initially screen all full-time faculty applicants applications. Those
applicants who require an equivalency determination will be forwarded to the Academic Senate’s
Faculty Qualifications Committee. The Academic Senate Faculty Qualifications Committee
shall submit its recommendation and evaluation concerning equivalency and non-equivalency to
Human Resources. Only applicants who are found to meet equivalency may be selected for an
interview.
Human Resources will initially screen all associate faculty applicants applications. Those
applicants who require an equivalency determination will be forwarded to the Academic Senate’s
Faculty Qualifications Committee. The Academic Senate Faculty Qualifications Committee
shall submit its recommendation and evaluation concerning equivalency and non-equivalency to
Human Resources the Academic Senate and to the Board of Trustees. Only applicants who
are found to meet equivalency may be selected for an interview considered for an associate
faculty appointment.
Process for Granting Associate Faculty an Emergency Equivalency
All departments, divisions, and campus administrators are expected to initiate the equivalency
process in an expeditious manner prior to the end of each term. In those emergency
circumstances (for instance during summer and winter break when members of the Faculty
Qualifications Committee may not be available) the determination of equivalency can be made
on a temporary basis by the Chief Instructional Officer in consultation with the respective
discipline’s dean or director.
Page 9 of 13
March 14, 2014
3.3 AP 7211
The Academic Senate Faculty Qualifications Committee shall employ the following procedures
in emergencies or special circumstances. For the purposes of this procedure, an emergency or
special circumstance is defined as a situation in which the full hiring process cannot be carried
out in a timely manner. Such situations may include, but are not limited to the following:
 Vacancies that occur shortly before the beginning of a session in which there is not
sufficient time for the full equivalency process to take place.
 Additional sections of a class added shortly before the beginning of a session or after the
session begins.
An emergency equivalency is valid for one appointment contract. The Faculty Qualifications
Committee’s first agenda item at each meeting is to review emergency equivalencies granted
since the Committee’s previous meeting. Once the Academic Senate has approved or denied the
Faculty Qualifications Committee’s recommendation on equivalency for a faculty member, an
emergency equivalency for the same faculty member for the same discipline cannot be granted.
Graduate Students as Faculty Interns
In the case of graduate students as faculty interns, refer to the Minimum Qualifications
Handbook.
Approved: July 9, 1990
Revised: April 6, 1992; June 3, 1996; January 9, 2007
Academic Standards and Policies Committee draft proposal to Academic Senate November 2,
2012
Approved by Academic Senate November 16, 2012
Page 10 of 13
March 14, 2014 - ASPC
3.3 Certification Standards for Online Teaching
Readiness Certification Standards for Online Instructors
DRAFT
Faculty shall meet any of the following three criteria prior to teaching an online course for
College of the Redwoods:
1. Complete CR Online Teaching and Learning Training sponsored by the DE
Committee in consultation with the Academic Senate.
2. Certificate of Completion in Online Teaching from an accredited college or university,
such as UCLA online Teaching Program, Cerro Coso Online Educators Certificate
Program, or @One Teaching Certification Program.
3. Demonstrate prior successful experience in teaching online course(s) (e.g., Satisfactory
faculty evaluation using the Supplemental Distance Education Evaluation Form (schedule
F-2DE) or equivalent) as determined by the DE Committee.
In addition, faculty shall complete CR’s “Orientation to Online Teaching” short course prior to
teaching an online course for College of the Redwoods.
Relevant ACCJC guidelines (2012): Standard IIIA
 Evidence the institution has a reasonable means for deciding what employee
qualifications are needed for positions with teaching responsibility for DE/CE
courses, and
 Evidence there are practices in place to determine that an applicant is well
qualified to teach DE/CE Courses.
Sources
Mt San Jacinto College DE Faculty Handbook
http://my.msjc.edu/web/ol/DE%20Faculty%20Handbook%20posted.pdf
Pasadena City College DE Faculty Handbook
http://online.pasadena.edu/faculty/hb/facultyprep/
College of the Canyons Online Instructor Qualifications
http://www.canyons.edu/Offices/Distance_Learning/pdf_files/Online_Instructor_Qualifications.
pdf
Reviewers
Academic Senate ad hoc DE Committee
Distance Education Committee
Page 11 of 13
March 14, 2014 - ASPC
3.3 AP 4105
REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Administrative Procedure
AP 4105
DISTANCE EDUCATION
“Distance education is defined…as a formal interaction which uses one or more technologies to
deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor and which supports regular
and substantive interaction between the students and instructor, either synchronously or
asynchronously” (ACCJC, 2013).
Course Quality Standards
The same standards of course quality shall be applied to distance education as are applied to
traditional classroom courses. Refer to the Curriculum Handbook.
Separate Course Approval
Each proposed or existing course offered by distance education shall be reviewed and approved
separately. Separate approval is mandatory if any portion of the instruction in a course or a
course section is designed to be provided through distance education.
The review and approval of new and existing distance education courses shall follow the
curriculum approval procedures outlined in Administrative Procedure 4020 Program and
Curriculum Development and the Curriculum Handbook.
Instructor Contact
Each section of the course that is delivered through distance education shall include regular
effective contact between instructor and students. Instructor contact guidelines can be found on
the Curriculum Committee website.
Student Authentication Process
Consistent with federal regulations pertaining to federal financial aid eligibility, the District shall
authenticate or verify that the student who registers in a distance education or correspondence
education course is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program
and receives the academic credit.
The Chief Instruction Officer (CIO) shall authorize one or more methods to authenticate or
verify the student’s identity approved by federal regulation. For the Redwoods Community
College District (RCCD), authentication uses secure credentialing/login and password within
applicable course management systems, which is specifically referenced in the federal regulation
as an appropriate and accepted procedure for verifying a student’s identity.
Privacy
The District shall provide to each student at the time of registration a statement of the process in
place to protect student privacy and estimated additional student charges associated with
verification of student identity, if any.
Page 12 of 13
March 14, 2014 - ASPC
3.3 AP 4105
Student Attendance Dates
Enrollment Services shall ensure compliance with Federal Regulations (34 CFR 668.22)
pursuant to Return to Title IV Funds (R2T4) and VA-ONCE Notice of Change (38 CFR
21.4203) using faculty verification of last actual date of attendance as evidenced by active
participation and reflected in the assessment of regular effective contact to calculate student’s
earned and unearned portion of Title IV Aid.
Instructors are responsible for verifying student attendance dates in all sections in which:
 earned and unearned portions of Federal Student Aid (Title IV) are determined based
upon the amount of time the student spent in attendance, and/or
 last actual date of attendance is used to determine status changes for students receiving
Veteran (VA-ONCE) funds.
ADA Compliance
All distance education is subject to the requirements of Title 5 as well as the requirements
imposed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S. Code Sections 12100 et seq.) and
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S. Code Section 794d).
Also, see Administrative Procedure 3412 Access to Programs and Facilities.
Evaluation of Instructors
Instructors teaching online classes shall be systematically evaluated using criteria applied to all
classes, in addition to criteria specific to online instruction.
Instructor Preparation and Professional Development
The district shall establish readiness standards and implement a method to identify instructors
qualified to teach online. The district shall provide ongoing training and professional
development in support of distance education.
Student Grievances
The CIO or their designee will maintain a file of all student grievances related to distance
education and their resolutions.
REFERENCES:
“Guide to Evaluating Distance Education and Correspondence Education” ACCJC publication,
July 2013;
Title 5 Sections 55200 et seq.;
U.S. Department of Education regulations on the Integrity of Federal Student Financial Aid
Programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended;
Title 34 Code of Federal Regulations - Section 602.17.
Approved by Board of Trustees New Procedure
Page 13 of 13