AP-014-123, Deletion of Blended B.A./Credential and Blended B.A./Credential

CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

ACADEMIC SENATE

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS COMMITTEE

REPORT TO

THE ACADEMIC SENATE

AP-014-123

Deletion of Blended B.A./Credential and Blended B.A./Credential (B/CLAD) Options in GEMS

Academic Programs Committee Date: 5/09/13

Executive Committee Received and Forwarded Date: 5-15-13 Academic Senate Date 5-22-13 First Reading AP-014-123, Deletion of Blended B.A./Credential and Blended B.A./Credential (B/CLAD) Options in GEMS 2

BACKGROUND: The Blended B.A./Credential and Blended B.A./Credential (B/CLAD) Options in GEMS were developed and approved in 2002 as part of Cal Poly Pomona’s Poly Blend Program in response to the California Teacher Credentialing (CTC) directives for teacher education. The Poly Blend program was designed to combine baccalaureate and credential into one program for the purpose of having students graduate more quickly. However, with the introduction of the CSET exam a few years later, which was part of the “No Child Left Behind” mandate, a student was no longer guaranteed a smooth passage from baccalaureate program to post-baccalaureate program. Over the past several years, the Department of Ethnic and Women's Studies has been steering students interested in elementary school teaching away from the Blended Options to the GEMS Pre-Credential Option. There are currently no students in the Blended Options. The EWS Department, therefore, proposes that the BA/Credential and the B.A/Credential (BCLAD) Options be dropped from its program offerings.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:  Ethnic and Women’s Studies Department Faculty  Dr. Dorothy MacNevin, Chair, Dept. of Education  Dr. Steve Bryant, Chair, Dept. of Liberal Studies  Dr. Claudia Pinter Lucke, Associate Provost

RESOURCES CONSULTED:  Dr. Steve Bryant, Chair, Dept. of Liberal Studies  Dr. Terri Gomez, Chair, EWS  Dr. Claudia Pinter Lucke, Associate Provost

DISCUSSION: The Blended B.A./Credential and Blended B.A./Credential (B/CLAD) Options in GEMS have limited value since the CSET exam was introduced a few years ago, which meant that a student was no longer guaranteed a smooth passage from baccalaureate to post-bachelor programs. The biggest obstacle, however, is the CSU system's requirement that all programs be reduced to 180 units, which would make it impossible to combine CTC subject matter standards, credentialing requirements and GEMS core competencies into one program.

The consulted resources indicated that the Blended Program limits students in the following ways: 1) it actually slows down, rather than accelerates a student's path to completing the BA/Credential, and; 2) it limits a student's job opportunities for certain jobs requiring a BA, i.e. Substitute teacher. No student has enrolled in the Blended Program in the last three years. AP-014-123, Deletion of Blended B.A./Credential and Blended B.A./Credential (B/CLAD) Options in GEMS 3

The proposal is strongly endorsed by all faculties of the related Departments.

RECOMMENDATION: The Academic Programs Committee recommends approval of the referral AP-014-123 to delete the Blended B.A./Credential and Blended B.A./Credential (B/CLAD) Options in GEMS.