Consultative and transparent process to replace and revise Interim GE Policy

In 2019, in response to a five-year review of the GE Program, the Academic Senate approved changes to the GE Policy to make GE Minors even more coherent, meaningful and authentic, while adding more possibilities for exploration for students not pursuing a GE Minor.

In early 2021, in response to the creation of an Ethnic Studies requirement, the Academic Senate Executive Committee approved an Interim GE Policy in order to add an Ethnic Studies requirement by Fall 21 for students with a 21-22 (or later) catalog.

Also in early 2021, after extensive and transparent consultation, the Curriculum Advisory Board (CAB) recommended to the Senate’s curriculum subcommittee (EPPC) replacing and revising the Interim GE Policy. Interim GE Policies are valid for six months with a possibility of a further six month renewal. However, CAB strongly recommended that senate not delay a full consideration of a replacement of the GE Policy.

During the policy revision process in late 2021, it became clear that the addition of Area F could negate Chico State’s US Diversity graduation requirement. After lengthy discussion and consultation, CAB recommended to EPPC that the US Diversity (USD) graduation requirement be retained. However, it remains possible that the Academic Senate could decide to remove the USD requirement or replace it with something else (e.g. Sustainability, etc.). If the Senate took this course of action in Spring 21, then CAB could work hard to build the new requirement in the 21-22 academic year (adding new courses, if necessary) so that it could be ready to go in 22-23 (when other changes to GE, like GE Minors, are scheduled to take place). However, if the Senate delayed consideration of the replacement of the Interim EM and made a major change to the USD graduation requirement (say, in December 2021), then CAB would not have time to build the new requirement in time for the 22-23 academic year, and the new requirement wouldn’t take place until 23-24. Here’s why that matters: if senate finishes the policy this semester, then we will only have three GE patterns:

1 Students with catalog years 2020-21 and before (the current GE Program and Planning Sheet)

2 Students with catalog year 2021-22 (the current GE Program plus Ethnic Studies)

3 Students with catalog years 2022-23 and after (the revised GE Minors and UD Pathways)

However, if Senate delayed consideration of the Interim EM into the next academic year then we may run into a situation where we have a fourth GE pattern in as many years:

4 Students with catalog years 2023-24 and after (a potentially revised graduation requirement - USD, Sustainability, etc.).

As a result, it was decided to add the GE Policy to the EPPC agenda in March so that the policy could be completed in Spring 21 and thus avoid the fourth scenario.

CAB is Chico State’s GE Committee and is comprised of staff, faculty, and a student. CAB’s voting membership consists of eight faculty representatives representing each college on campus, ten pathway coordinators elected by departments that offer courses in the pathway, an EPPC member, and a student. Beginning in Fall 22, a second student will join the committee, and CAB and EPPC have recommended adding a third student to CAB along with adding voting privileges to the CAB members from Academic Advising Programs and Graduation Advising. In addition to its voting members, CAB also includes members from Curriculum Services, Academic Publications and Scheduling Services, First-Year Experience, and a Provost Designee (the Dean of Undergraduate Education). Due to a turnover in pathway coordinators, the representation of colleges changes every year. Here is the composition of the 2020-21 CAB voting membership:

College of Agriculture: 1 voting member on CAB (5% of all CAB voting members); AG offered 13 GE sections in Fall 20 (1.6% of total) (not including 16 lab secs.)

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences: 5 voting members on CAB (25% of all CAB voting members); BSS offered 220 GE sections in Fall 20 (27% of total) (not including 18 lab/activity secs.)

College of Business: 1 voting member on CAB (5% of all CAB voting members); COB offered 3 GE sections in Fall 20 (0.3% of total)

College of Communication and Education: 2 voting members on CAB (10% of all CAB voting members); CME offered 108 GE sections offered in Fall 20 (13.3% of total)

College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management: 1 voting member on CAB (5% of all CAB voting members); ECC offered 10 GE sections in Fall 20 (1.2%) (not including 12 activity secs.)

College of Humanities and Fine Arts: 4 voting members on CAB (20% of all CAB voting members); HFA offered 266 GE sections in Fall 20 (32.8% of total) (not including 43 activity secs.)

College of Natural Sciences: 3 voting members on CAB (15% of all CAB voting members); NS offered 173 GE sections in Fall 20 (21.3% of total) (not including 202 lab/activity secs.)

Meriam Library: 1 voting member on CAB (5% of all CAB voting members)

Undergraduate Education 1 voting member on CAB (5% of all CAB voting members); UED offered 19 GE sections in Fall 20 (2.3% of total)

Student 1 voting member on CAB (5% of all CAB voting members)

Following the creation of Ethnic Studies as a lower-division GE Area F, CAB undertook a transparent and consultative process to suggest and implement revisions to Chico State’s GE Policy (Interim EM 21-002).

September: CAB communicates to Senate Officers that it is waiting to initiate any discussions around implementation until it receives direction, and until there is a formalized role for Ethnic Studies faculty in this process.

September 28: Senate Executive Committee creates the Ethnic Studies (ES) ad hoc subcommittee, charging CAB to “consult with the Ethnic Studies ad hoc subcommittee on all aspects of implementation of the Ethnic Studies requirement, including, but not limited to, any proposed revisions to EM 19-021.”

October 12: CAB and the ES Subcommittee meet to discuss changes to the Executive Order

November 2 and 16: CAB discusses and approves courses proposed for Area F by the ES Subcommittee

November 17 and 18: CAB and ES representatives attend Board of Trustees meetings

November 19: CAB representative attended EPPC Discussion Item on revisions to GE Policy

November 30: CAB Discussion Item of revisions to GE Policy (open meeting, with agenda posted on website).

December 3: Revised Executive Order shared with CAB and ES Committee

December 7: CAB Introduction Item of revisions to GE Policy (open meeting, with agenda posted on website: ES Committee members and Green Leaf Committee members invited to attend).

December 14: CAB Action Item (open meeting, with agenda posted on website: ES Committee members and Green Leaf Committee members invited to attend) Tabled to January 25 for more consultation/discussion.

December-January CAB faculty representatives consulted with their colleges: some arranged meetings, others conducted their own surveys, and still others collected feedback (including comments) on a common survey. In all, we received over a hundred responses, which were disaggregated by college and provided to the faculty representatives. CAB solicited and received feedback from the Ethnic Studies ad hoc Committee. CAB solicited and received feedback from the Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA CAB solicited and received feedback from the University Diversity Council (UDC) Campus Climate Considerations.

January 25: CAB Action Item (open meeting, with agenda posted on website: ES Committee members and Green Leaf Committee members invited to attend). Tabled to February 8 for more discussion.

January 28: CAB representative attended EPPC Discussion Item on EM 19-021 (ES Committee notified by CAB)

January 28: CAB representative attended FASP Discussion Item on EM 19-021 and graduation requirement proposals (ES Committee notified by CAB)

February 4: CAB representative attended Academic Senate Discussion Item on proposal for an Interim EM to implement Area F in Fall 21 (ES Committee notified by CAB)

February 8: CAB Action Item approved unanimously (CAB, open meeting, with agenda posted on website: ES Committee and Green Leaf Committee members invited to attend) and submitted to EPPC.

February 12: CAB update to Student Academic Senate

February 25: EPPC Introduction Item (ES Committee notified by CAB)

March 11: EPPC Action Item (ES Committee notified by CAB)

March 24: CAB shared EPPC amendment to the antiracist pedagogy section with the UDC Campus Climate Considerations Committee

March 25: Senate Introduction Item (ES Committee notified by CAB)

March 28: CAB solicited and received feedback from the BFSA regarding a senate suggestion to replace of “Black students” with “students of color” in the antiracist pedagogy section. The Chair of the BFSA responded that “the consensus from the group is to keep the focus and the language specific to Black students. Some members noted that if the language of GE course review aims to parallel the senate resolution then replacing “Black students” with “students of color” is not addressing the issue. Additionally, the hope is that in addition to the language in these various resolutions and policies there will also be intentional and significant effort in development and delivery of workshops, any efforts at all, to help faculty and staff on this campus to recognize anti-Black practices and pedagogies. It is, of course problematic to expect folks to intuit them. The concern is if it is only the latter, then respectfully this will be received as performative activism and the language will not matter.”

Recommendation of all changes in Interim EM 21-002

Recommendation to add “trust but verify” language in the “Additional Waivers and Substitutions” Section

Recommendation to add another student representative to CAB (bringing the total number of voting student representatives to three)

Recommendation to add antiracist language in the “Curriculum Oversight” Section. This addition is inspired by the “CSU, Chico Academic Senate Condemnation of Violence Against Black People and Commitment to Antiracist Policies and Practices” (10/22/2020), specifically the resolution’s call for “racially just classroom practices, antiracist pedagogies, and the dismantling of anti-Black practices...with the overall intention of contributing toward cultivating a healthy racial campus climate that result in equitable educational experiences and/or outcomes for Black students.” CAB consulted with the Acting Chief Diversity Officer, the University Diversity Council’s Campus Climate Considerations Workgroup, and the Black Faculty and Staff Association. 

Recommendation to maintain the US Diversity graduation requirement by requiring a non-Ethnic Studies diversity course on race, ability, age, class, culture, gender identity

Added, for the three student representatives on CAB, that they shall serve one-year terms, renewable twice.

Modified/added, "At the time of review, course proponents will provide evidence of how racially just classroom practices, antiracist pedagogies, and the dismantling of anti-Black practices are utilized, with the overall intention of contributing toward a healthy racial campus climate that results in equitable educational experiences for Black students. In keeping with the Academic Senate "Resolution Regarding Equity Gaps of Underrepresented Minority Student Achievement" adopted April 4, 2019, at the time of GE review, course proponents will provide evidence of how equity gaps have been addressed and provide non-instructor specific data, if available, concerning those equity gaps as defined in the resolution."

Added CAB voting status to the representatives of Academic Advising Programs and Graduation Advising.

Added CAB voting status to the EPPC representative.

Modified/added "U.S. Diversity (USD): One course outside Area F that develops greater understanding of the history..."