Dan, I think the general rule of thumb is 4 “Whereas” points max (all of the other current AS resolutions I’m seeing follow this), so my suggestion is to strike the 4^th Whereas you have here (I’ve put it in blue).

RESOLUTION

Whereas, the “Recommendations Regarding Repeatability” document acknowledges the central importance of so-called “performance” courses in college academic programs in the arts, and

Whereas, the “Recommendations” document acknowledges and recognizes the critical role of community members who “complete the ensembles” for so-called traditional music or theatre students, and

Whereas, the “Recommendations” document relies on a proposal to “address community or extended participation needs through non-credit, audit, and community service classes by requesting appropriate changes to Ed Code.”, and

CUT: Whereas, such “appropriate changes to Ed Code” are not included in the “Recommendations” document and are not currently part of the Ed Code, and

Whereas, moving forward absent such “appropriate changes to Ed Code” will limit or eliminate the participation of such “community” students and have the predicted effect of preventing the “complet[ion] of ensembles for traditional music or theatre students” and rendering such major programs in the arts ineffective for students, therefore

Dan, I am not following why limiting or eliminating the participation of community students will have the effect of preventing the completion of ensembles for traditional music or theatre students…is it because community students form a significant percentage of the composition of the ensembles? (Note – as described in the Repeatability document and acknowledged by faculty in the disciplines, necessary performance ensembles may not be viable without the inclusion on students in these categories. Note that the Repeatability document essentially stipulates this.)

Be it resolved, that the changes to repeatability in the “Visual and Performing Arts” as proposed in the “Task Force Recommendations” may only take effect following the implementation of “appropriate changes to Ed Code” that would enable the participation of the non-credit, audit, and community service” students as described in the Recommendations.

The Resolved sounds good to me.

RESOLUTION

Whereas, the “Recommendations Regarding Repeatability” document recognizes the critical and central importance of “practice time” in individual and group contexts and situations that provide “exposure to many genres or areas” in creative and performing arts academic disciplines, and

I SUGGEST CUTTING THIS: Whereas, the document recognizes that “most students” generally attend college for more than two years for “valid reasons” and “during the course of study… will take… one or two performance courses each semester,” and

Whereas, the long settled “best practices” approach to such central skill development in visual and performance arts programs has been and continues to be based on continuous skill building and repetition leading to increased competence over time, and

I SUGGEST CUTTING THIS: Whereas, the term “performance course” is frequently used in the “Recommendations” document but remains undefined, and

Whereas, the proposal seeks to eliminate repeatability in “all” of the other also undefined “non-performance classes” in music, theatre, and dance, and

Whereas, the proposal presumes that “purposes served by repeatability in these areas can be accomplished through existing curricular options” without defining what those options are nor how they would accomplish the task, therefore

Be it resolved, that prior to adoption of proposed significant changes to repeatability in Visual and Performing Arts disciplines the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges will convene a work group of subject matter experts in Visual Arts disciplines to propose a consistent definition of the critical term “performance courses,” and make recommendations based on accepted best pedagogical practices within those disciplines and

Be it further resolved that, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges or an approved task force [MY QUESTION HERE IS APPROVED BY WHOM? I SUGGEST REPLACING THIS WITH “CONVENE A TASK FORCE”] including substantial representation of faculty experts from these disciplines WHO will study and recommend specific ways in which “purposes served by repeatability in these areas can be accomplished through existing curricular options” prior to implementation of changes in repeatability that rely on the use of these currently unidentified “options.”