Returning to Campus & Min Quals
Navigating COVID and Section Coverage
Quick Story: My sister is an Emergency Room Nurse. She notes that so far there are three phases to COVID in her hospital:
- A virus that brought down older adults.
- A complex virus that indiscriminately raged.
- The wave of teenagers and young adults struggling to cope with isolation. They have never seen this much cutting (releases endorphins) or depression.
The doctors and nurses she works with agree that young people are, anecdotally, pack people and need to be together again. I asked her about a safe return, she offered blunt and stern advice, and I agree. Educators are essential workers in a different way than nurses or grocery store employees. In learning and collaboration, students find their identity. She asked what would happen if nurses and grocery employees decided they’re not comfortable going to work? They would find another career path that suits their personal goals and responsibilities. She reminded me she works 12 hours a day in a mask and additional gear. And that grocery clerks touch products, wear masks, and talk with people with masks as their only protocol. She stated that it’s time to take care of our students first.
As the state of California, the CCCCO, and our local Board of Trustees clear us to return, we need to move forward strong. I realize the medical notes, leaves of absence, protocols, etc., will be a challenge. And we may need to draw in part-time faculty to cover sections. Keep in mind instructors (depending on your District policy) can teach partially online, either synchronous or asynchronous. We’re talking about perhaps an average of three classes in person at around three hours a week plus an office hour. Classified staff coverage is a priority and will require respectful logistics. In my 25 years in this system, I find classified staff, as front-line employees, are the first to recognize how critical in-person interaction is to student comfort and success.
If each of us protects one student’s mental or physical health in the fall semester, it’s worth the risk. We note that essential workers are heroes. Well, heroes serve their constituents first. We need to reopen our food pantries, get our athletes back in shape, nurture and support our underserved students, and find ways for students to reconnect to their peers within safety protocols. COVID isn’t going away; waiting another semester or two creates more struggles for students, employees, and colleges.
A quick reminder on Min Quals (the Minimum Qualifications Handbook) required to serve as a Teacher of Record. Colleges may need to draw in substitutes or part-time faculty to cover courses, a process common in high schools and atypical in colleges. Substitutes are paid a portion of the load, and there are ways to cover the additional section cost.
- You most likely have classified staff who qualify to substitute and teach; if your contracts note they cannot, perhaps an MOU for substitute teaching by qualified classified staff and classified managers will support some level of additional coverage.
- Administrators can substitute within their discipline.
- Counselors can conduct a class meeting on Ed Plans, wellness, preparing to transfer, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
We’re all familiar with the Min Quals chart located on pages 55–59 of the Min Quals Handbook. I thought to offer three nuances of the report:
- Professional Licensure
§53410.1. Professional License (in California) As Alternative Qualification states: For disciplines specified in this section, a bachelor’s degree in the discipline of the assignment plus a professional license or certification may be substituted. The license or certification so substituted must be valid in California.
2. Faculty Internship Program
A faculty internship program, § 53501 opportunity is available to a) To enhance the recruitment of qualified persons pursuing the master’s or doctoral degrees, or both, into faculty positions in community colleges in California, particularly for disciplines for which recruitment is difficult and for disciplines in which a shortage of qualified faculty is anticipated; b) To enhance the recruitment of qualified persons pursuing an associate degree in faculty positions in community colleges in California, particularly for disciplines for which current industry experience is important and disciplines for which recruitment is difficult, and a shortage of faculty is anticipated. The internship program shall serve to introduce industry practitioners to the community college environment and student populations while encouraging them to complete their associate degrees; c) To enhance community college efforts toward building a diverse faculty. In order to accomplish this purpose, the internship program shall place special emphasis on promoting inclusive efforts to locate and attract qualified graduate students who are members of monitored groups as defined in section 53001(i).
The Min Quals Handbook details (page 84) how to implement a faculty internship program; it’s doable. With the current turnover in administrators, there will be a shift in all colleges that can benefit from a pool of graduate students and industry professionals interested in contributing to and teaching in community colleges.
3. CTE Disciplines
Pages 61–68 contain a list of the disciplines in which a master’s degree is not generally available. The minimum qualifications for disciplines on this list are any bachelor’s degree or higher and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience.
Consider your CTE occupational Advisory Board members; any would thrive with the opportunity to be asked to come in as a guest speaker or team-teach a section. People love to be asked to help, to pitch in, and make a difference for students.
I understand that there is an equal number of reasons, challenges, and arguments that push back for everything I wrote above. We’re educators; we teach youth, adults, and change lives. We’re in the new normal.
Thanks, Kelly
