Report of the Semester Conversion Task Force - California State ...

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Semester Conversion Task Force ReportCharge, guidance, principles, and prioritiesCharge and guidanceFollowing is the charge as received by the Task Force. The page numbers after each item identifysections in this report that apply to that item.President James M. Rosser has charged the Semester Conversion Task Force with developing acomprehensive plan to include the following elements as they relate to transitioning from a quarterto semester calendar:• A timeline for a transition; [p. 24]• A model of the semester system calendar; [p. 12]• The identification of transition costs and an appropriate and realistic budget; [p. 34-35]• An examination of academic policy implications; [pp. 27-28]• The identification of essential and critical modifications to the campus business processesand IT systems; [pp. 19, 20, 23, 26]• The creation of a comprehensive communication plan; [pp. 19, 31-33]• A model for simultaneous curriculum revision; [pp. 16, 25]• The identification of issues and policies impacting students enrolled during the transition.[pp. 27 (CP-C.7), 32]The Task Force will use the principles developed by the Academic Senate to guide the possibleconversion to semesters planning process.Each respective committee developed its own charge, with approval by the Task Force.In a July 2010 meeting and in follow-up email messages, Dr. Brown informed the Writing Group that itwas no longer responsible for complete cost estimates but that it should not limit its recommendationsfor lack of cost information:Whether some or all of your recommendations will ultimately be feasible to implement should notpreclude [you] from making those recommendation that [you consider] to be necessary.Academic Senate principles regarding conversionThe Task Force was guided by the Senate’s Principles Regarding Conversion.That:1. Faculty, staff, students and administrators work together on all phases of planning for possibleconversion to semesters.2. Conversion will not increase the time to graduation for students who transition from quartersto semesters.3. Students who will transition from quarters to semesters will receive individualized advisementbefore conversion to create a clear plan for progress to graduation, and follow-up advisementafter conversion, as needed.2https://atlantis.calstatela.edu:40365/Shared Documents/Charge to Planning Committee Revised 5-15-09.doc.3The complete resolution is available on SharePoint: https://atlantis.calstatela.edu:40365/Shared Documents/Resolution of PrinciplesRegarding Possible Conversion to Semesters.pdf.7
Semester Conversion Task Force Report4. No tenured/tenure track faculty or staff members will lose their employment as a result of aconversion to semesters.5. No academic programs will be discontinued as a result of a conversion to semesters exceptthrough ordinary program discontinuation procedures, as prescribed in Chapter IV of theFaculty Handbook.6. Reassigned time or stipends will be made available to faculty to perform program and coursemodifications for the conversion.7. Reassigned time or stipends will be provided to faculty for advisement of students who transitionfrom quarters to semesters.8. CSULA staff workload will not increase with conversion-related tasks without compensation.9. The earliest a conversion to semesters would be implemented is Fall, 2012.10. Colleges and departments/divisions/schools will have maximum flexibility to manage teachingloads in ways that meet the needs of faculty and students.11. If CSULA converts to semesters, this will not diminish the University’s commitment to theResearch, Scholarship and Creative Activity awards.12. If CSULA converts to semesters, sabbatical leaves will continue to be awarded to at least 12%of all those eligible to apply in a given year. In addition, all requests for full sabbaticals will befully-funded at half pay.13. If CSULA converts to semesters, faculty workload will not increase.Institutional learning goalsThe Task Force was also mindful of the University’s learning outcomes,• Knowledge: Mastery of content and processes of inquiry,• Proficiency: Intellectual skills,• Place and Community: Urban and global mission, and• Transformation: Integrative learning.Faculty prioritiesThe Task Force was also guided by the results of a survey that explored faculty priorities regardingconversion processes, outcomes, and objectives. Faculty members were asked to rank ten items in strictpriority order; ties were not permitted. The highest priority objective was to be ranked number 1; the lowestpriority objective ranked number 10. The results, averaged over all respondents, fell into natural groupings.Highest priority (3.38 - 3.79) [Teaching, learning, and professional achievement]• Maximizing opportunities for flexible and creative distribution of faculty and student workload (3.38)4See https://spcc.calstatela.edu/ilo.php.8
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