Moodle to be replaced

Switch from Moodle to Canvas announced Monday

VICTOR RODRIGUEZ Opinions Editor @vrodriguez2100

The Academic Senate has officially voted to adopt the online course enhancer Canvas to replace Pierce College’s current platform Moodle.

The motion passed with 36 votes in favor and one abstention. The college will pay no fees for three years due to subsidization from the Online Education Initiative.

Senators discussed the possibility of a statewide online course exchange, wherein a student from a college outside California would be able to take an online course and the money earned would go to Pierce College.

“The statewide committee that was selected specifically for this purpose chose Canvas, and that says a lot,” said Michael Cooperman, member of the Distance Education committee.

Members of the senate discussed the ease of use and how easy the transition between the two can be.

“I use both Moodle and Canvas, I think Canvas is a little more elegant and well-designed,” said

David Schamus, chair of the Computer Science and Information Technologies department.

Joe Perret, CSIT instructor, said Pierce College would significantly benefit from the use of a statewide system rather than a platform such as Moodle.

“It’s a statewide system, you’re going to get statewide support [including] a 24/7 help-desk, provided by the state,” Perret said.

Anna Bruzzese, president of the Academic Senate said she has faith in her colleagues who are more familiar with the platform.

“I don’t teach online, so I can’t really speak from experience, I’ll defer to the judgment of my colleagues who are the experts,” Bruzzese said. “And since they seem onboard and think it’s going to be a good move, then I’m in support of it personally.”

Subsequently, the senate voted in favor of recertification requirements for hybrid courses and courses exclusively taught online in order to familiarize instructors with the new platform.

Instructors of online, hybrid and Distance Education courses will need to complete 40 hours of workshop training with Canvas.

Instructors who teach traditional courses that only supplement their class with Moodle will not be required to undergo the Canvas certification training. The senate also voted unanimously to reinstate an orientation for new faculty members which had been cancelled at the order of President Kathleen Burke.

President Kathy Oborn was reappointed to the District Academic Senate Equivalency Committee. Oborn served in that role last semester when she was Academic Senate president, and at the senate’s approval will continue this semester as the DASEC representative for Pierce. Oborn outlined the position in a letter read to the senate by Belden.

Incident Report

9/23—Lost Wallet

A student filed a report with the Sheriff’s department on Thursday, Sept. 24, after losing their wallet the previous day. The wallet was lost in the bookstore on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at about noon. The incident has not been filed as a theft.

9/21—Traffic Incident

At about 2 p.m. Monday, two vehicles crashed in Parking Lot 1. It is unknown if anybody was injured in the collision. Pierce College Sheriff’s Station

News briefs

“When I got the notice from the president of the college that the new faculty orientation on campus had been cancelled I was quite in shock,” said Angela Belden, instructor of Psychology.

In the past, orientations were used to ease new faculty members into Pierce College.

“This is the Professional Development committee’s solution to that, so we can take back some control and allow some of the new faculty to be branded on campus by our own faculty,” Belden said.

Former Academic Senate

“I have experience with equivalent standards through my participation on statewide committees, and several years ago I was selected to lead the equivalency task force for criminal justice, and offered the most recent report for the state chancellor’s office,” Oborn’s statement read.

According to ASO President David Do, the votes from the student trustee special election in September will be counted on Oct. 9 at 11 a.m. at the district’s downtown headquarters.

The next Academic Senate will take place Oct. 12 at 2:15 p.m. in the Great Hall.

District Food Survey

All Pierce students have received a Food Services Survey from the district in their LACCD email accounts.

Due by Sunday, Oct. 11, the optional questionnaire is intended to inform the district of food quality and availability at campuses districtwide.

The ASO festivities are intended to attract new members to the organization. Do said that the ASO will take any new members “under their wing” and “get them up to speed” on the organization’s goals and methods.

“I hope to get more members to join the ASO, spread awareness and have the students enjoy themselves,” Do said.

The ASO will have their booth in the Mall from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. According to Zabala, the event used to end at 2 p.m. and this semester marks a three-hour increase in its hours.

ASO Treasurer Roxanne Keramati said the organization will be handing out flyers, senator applications, and any other additional information students may need to become involved.

According to Zabala, membership in the ASO can help students receive transfer recommendations and student employment opportunities at Pierce.

To become a member of the ASO, students must fill out the membership application, maintain a 2.0 GPA, be enrolled in at least five units, pay the $7 ASO dues fee, attend mandatory weekly meetings, and receive approval from a department chair. Information about open departments will be listed during club rush, according to ASO clerk Brenda Lopez.

The first club council meeting will be on Oct. 15 from 1 to 2:30 p.m., though the meeting location is yet to be announced.