By Sonia Lemus
Assistant News Editor
Faculty are upset remedial courses were eliminated without their input.
The California State University Office of the Chancellor issued Executive Order 1110 on Aug. 2.
The order ends remedial courses, entrance exams, and bring changes to the Early Start Program.
“The single biggest objection is that it was developed with a gross absence of faculty,” said Bruce Hartsell, president of the California Faculty Association chapter at CSU Bakersfield.
The statewide CFA issued an email on Aug. 2 stating the position it took on the EO.
“This order represents overreach by CSU management and a blatant disregard of shared governance. CFA was not noticed of the changes as the collective bargaining unit of the faculty, nor was the Academic Senate consulted in a comprehensive manner,” stated Jennifer Eagan, president of the CFA, in the email.
“CFA is demanding the chancellor meet and confer. No discussion should occur about implementation until he has met his legal obligation to meet and confer,” said Hartsell.
Chancellor Timothy P. White sent a memorandum to all CSU Presidents on Aug. 2 informing them about the executive order. On Aug. 3, a press release dictating some of the changes that would be made was issued by the CSU system.
When asked if faculty had been anticipating the release of the EO, Hartsell said that the announcement of the executive order caught nearly everyone by surprise.
Paul Newberry, director of general education, delivered the news of the EO to the Academic Senate during its meeting on Aug. 31.
“Executive Order 1110 is more challenging because it is changing potentially how we do remediation for English and mathematics,” said Newberry.
Newberry also informed the Academic Senate that he and Jenny Zorn, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, have both already held meetings to discuss the EO.
“The effects are going to be wide ranging, so I just ask for the senate and the faculties’ patience as we work with the issues and wait for the faculty to come to a tactical plan, curricular wise, to see how we should address it,” said Vernon Harper, associate vice president for Academic Programs.
Dr. John Tarjan, representative of CSUB in the Academic Senate of the California State University said, “There are a number of issues [with EO 1110]. One is the process through which it was approved. Second, was the timing, and then the last one is the substance.”
Tutors at the Math Tutoring Center in Science III agreed that taking away remedial courses brings a greater challenge to faculty and themselves as tutors.
“We will have to teach instead of tutor, because if they don’t know the basics they can’t learn the rest,” said Kayla Johnson, head tutor at the math tutoring center.
Kelly Aragon, English major and tutor at the Writing Resource Center, agrees that teachers have a lot of work ahead of them now that remedial students will be put into collegiate level courses rather than remedial courses.
“How would teachers break up the requirements that should be taught in remedial courses? Are they going to cram them into one class?” asked Aragon.
Aragon added that this may even set them, the students in remedial courses, back more than remedial classes have.
The executive order began by eliminating the entrance exams August 2017.
Remedial courses will be eliminated fall 2018.
