Resolutions and Policies (2017-Present)

In order to more effectively tie resource allocation to planning, only those programs and departments that have completed a recent APPS program review will be eligible to participate in the annual APPS resource allocation process. A program review will be considered recent if it was completed during the previous four years.

This policy will be effective beginning Fall 2001.

Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Academic Senate and the college president or designee. Exceptions must be requested at least six (6) weeks before the APPS resource allocation submittal deadline, and will be approved or denied within two (2) weeks.

Adopted by the WVC Academic Senate
May 15, 2001

Statement: The Education Code 76001-76002, 48800-48802; Title 5 Regulations 58100-58110; and the State Chancellor’s Legal Office Advisory Opinion, make it clear that community colleges are required to accept minors in the classroom. The law also makes clear that community colleges can establish rules when accepting the enrollment of minors.

The faculty and staff of the West Valley-Mission Community College District are concerned about a range of issues that surround the presence of increasing numbers of minors in their college classes.

In order to abide by the law, and to address serious issues raised by faculty and staff, the Academic Senate submits the following set of concerns and recommendations.

Specific Concerns

• Need to notify the instructor when minors are enrolled in a class
• Exposure of immature minors to unsuitable classroom materials
• Instructor liability
• Legal reporting mandates
• Minors exhibiting disruptive or inappropriate behaviors
• Special requirements for supervision of minors
• Displacement of community college population in classes by minors
• Psychological development of children and its ramifications
• The impact of children in the classroom vis a vis adult learners

Proposals

1. Establish a notification procedure for faculty and staff so that they know in advance when they are dealing with a minor (including minor’s age) enrolled in a class.
2. Establish a rating system for courses that will define material as 1) suitable for general admission; 2) requiring parental approval; or 3) containing mature material or course procedures not suitable for minors.
3. Establish a procedure that notifies students 15 years of age and younger, at the time of their registration at WVMCCD, as to the basic skills courses they are required to complete.
4. Create a procedure during which parent and child meet with a district representative (counselor, classified, administrator) and where the college’s expectations and the responsibility will be explained.
5. Establish a registration procedure that will accommodate the educational goals of the college’s students.
6. Establish a training procedure for faculty and staff for all issues involved in dealing with minors in the classroom. This would include mandated reporting, procedures for emergencies, injuries, evacuations, and campus closures, etc.
7. Assign a contact person for questions/issues relating to minors.

Adopted as amended by WVCAS
October 30, 2001

Sample documents being developed by Mission College

We might consider some of these for use at our own college.

Sample 1

Dear faculty member,

You recently received an email message from me concerning middle college students, essentially high school juniors and seniors, that are concurrently enrolled in high school and in Mission College classes. In that memo I mentioned the legal right of the student to be enrolled. After further research on this issue I can tell you that the law provides both in education code and in civil rights law the right of minors to enroll in college courses.

Along with that right comes the responsibility of the institution to act as "mandated reporters" when child abuse is suspected. As Paul Siskert, Attorney for the California Community College Chancellor's Office stated, there are no other special responsibilities outside of the child protective act - additional obligations for which we are responsible.

If you have a middle college student enrolled in a class that you teach, you will soon be receiving notice from my office of their name/enrollment. If at some time during the semester that student tells you that they are being abused, physically or sexually, you must, by law, report that information. Please make those reports directly to my office. My office will take immediate and appropriate action.

If you have any questions about this issue, please contact me directly. Remember, I am only speaking about middle college students. If you don't hear from me about a minor enrolled in your class but have concerns for a minors safety, please make those reports directly to Dan Matarangas. We are dedicated to supporting the rights of members of the community as well as the rights of all our employees.

Thank You.
Lin Marelick, x5520
Interim Dean Workforce and Economic Development/Extended Programs and Services

Daniel Sanidad, x5139
Administrator, Extended Programs and Services

Sample 2

Mission Middle College and Child Development Center
Notification of Institutional Evacuation Procedure

If the college is evacuated because of campus closure for any reason, staff from the Economic and Development Unit will:

1. In person, notify the staff of the child care center to call parents to pick up their children.
2. In person, notify the staff of the middle college program to allow their students to go home, supply phone access to students to call parents if needed.
3. Staff of both units will wait with students until parents have picked up their pre-school children or have notified their middle college children of how to proceed.
   1. If middle college parents are not reachable, the college staff will notify Sherry Garvey, Assistant to the Superintendent of Santa Clara Unified School District: 408.983.2019.
   2. For those Middle College students enrolled in regular college courses during an evacuation period, those students should be directed to gather in the lobby at the information island where college administrators will give them further instructions. If they are required to leave the building, they should gather at the flagpole area for further instructions.

Extended Programs and Services Administrators and Economic Development office staff members are required to offer assistance and wait with students during evacuation situations if needed. Under no conditions should staff members drive students home.

Lin Marelick, x5520
Interim Dean Workforce and Economic Development/Extended Programs and Services

Daniel Sanidad, x5139
Administrator, Extended Programs and Services