Minutes of the
MEETING OF THE FACULTY SENATE
APPROVED
PRESENT: Bill Bedford, Judy
ABSENT: Perry Snyder,
Tamara Weintraub
GUESTS: Jayne Conway
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order
by the president, Steve Spear, at
Proxy Votes: Bonnie Dowd announced
the following proxy:
Judy Cater holding a
proxy for Tamara Weintraub
Approval of Minutes: The minutes of
Welcome: Anne Hohman was
welcomed as the newest member of the Senate.
Other: Steve Spear
announced that information on the Hayward Award and the Vocational Leadership
Institute are available for review in SU-30.
Motion 1 MSC Thompson,
Cater: To suspend the agenda to address Information Item E, AB 846, No Smoking
Policy.
Jayne
Conway provided information on College Health Services Spring 2004 Health
Education & Wellness Program:
·
January: Smoking Cessation – Support Group (January 22 – March 4),
Individual Counseling January 29 – February 26).
·
February: HIV Testing begins February 1 and will go until the week
before finals
o
Healthy
Heart Month February 1 – 28 – cholesterol testing, BP screening
o
Smoking/Tobacco
Information Booth for Club Rush
o
·
March: March on TB
o
South
of the Border Travel Tips
o
Mini
Physicals
·
April: Skin Cancer Screening April 19 – May 14
·
May:
She
added that the state has passed a law which goes into effect on
Committee
Appointments: Steve Spear reported that
the Student Learning Outcomes Task Force is seeking a faculty member to serve
as co-chair. He asked current senators who are on the task force to consider
serving. There was some discussion on the superintendent/president serving as
co-chair. Because of the vice president
for instruction’s experience in this area as well as the fact that the work of
the task force will go beyond the time of Dr. Amador’s retirement, Senators
thought it would be more appropriate to have Berta Cuaron serve in the co-chair
position.
Motion 2 MSC Dowd,
Laughlin: The appointment of Barb Neault-Kelber to the Student Learning
Outcomes Task Force as co-chair, as well as the
Technology
Master
Planning
Task Force: Steve Spear reported
that a co-chair is still needed to serve on the Technology Master Planning Task
Force.
Curriculum: Copies of the items
from the Curriculum Committee meeting of
Motion 3 MSC Laughlin:
Course Deactivation
Procedures: A copy of the draft
proposal for a Course Deactivation Procedure was also provided. Each spring semester, the Instruction Office
will create a list of courses not offered (scheduled) for a three-year period.
The list will be submitted to Subcommittee C of the Curriculum Committee and to
the deans and chairs/directors whose courses appear on the list. During the
upcoming fall curriculum cycle, the Instruction Office will submit the listed
courses to the Curriculum Committee for deactivation to be effective the
following academic year. Departments/programs will not be required to submit
paperwork. If desired, the chair/director, in consultation with the appropriate
faculty members, may submit a rationale for keeping the course active for one
additional academic year. Subcommittee C will consider the rationale and the
criteria (to be established), and will recommend to Curriculum Committee to
deactivate or continue the course.
Senate
members discussed the need for individual departments to make the determination
of which courses to include in the catalog without administrative influence
over curricular offerings.
Motion 4 MS Laughlin,
Nebelsick-Tagg:
There
was discussion that perhaps this issue should be an agenda item at a future
Chairs/Directors meeting to obtain broad input.
Motion 5 MSC Dowd,
Bedford: To postpone approving the Course Deactivation Process until the end of
February and request that the item be placed on the
first Department Chairs/Directors meeting of the spring semester for discussion.
Motion 6 MSC Dowd,
Gordon: To extend the meeting until
Committee
on
Committees
Procedure:
Motion 7 MSC Cater, Dowd:
Soliciting Volunteers
1)
The terms of
committee assignments will be determined by the
a.
the terms will be
staggered to provide continuity ideally
no more than half the membership will be
up for appointment/reappointment each year;
b.
the terms will be
for 2 years unless otherwise dictated by our Constitution;
c.
faculty may
reapply for membership when their term is up, but reappointment is not automatic.
2)
The Committee will
send (via email and hard copy) to all faculty, a description of the process by
which committee appointments are made by the Senate. This description will
include:
a.
a list of
committee members and their divisions/terms,
b.
a description of
committee functions/times they meet (if known),
c.
a list of
committee openings by division,
d.
a list of
committee openings at large.
3)
The Committee will
solicit faculty volunteers for committee appointments. The names of all faculty who are eligible for
appointment to any committee will be brought to the Senate. Faculty who are
ineligible will be notified promptly.
4)
Volunteers will be
encouraged but not required to provide a short statement of interest as
well as their availability to attend meetings.
5)
The Committee will
allow 7 academic days for faculty to volunteer (via email only) to the
a)
email the members of any division that does not have volunteers for specific
committee openings soliciting volunteers again and alerting the division that
on Day 11 if there are still no volunteers from the given division the search
for a volunteer will widen to include all faculty members.
b)
email a list of the number of volunteers and the number of openings for each
committee assignment to the faculty, suggesting that if any volunteers prefer
to change their requests they may do so via email by Day 11. The committee will remind volunteers that if
more than one faculty member has volunteered for a particular committee
assignment, the Senate will hold an election. (The Committee will give them the
date of the election.)
6) On Day 11 the
Preparing the Ballot and the Rules
7) In
preparing the ballot for the Senate, the Committee will identify each volunteer
by division:
a) the Committee will provide a list of probationary
faculty to the Senate;
b) the
election of committee members for assignments that are designated as
“divisional representation” will be done by division—that is, the top vote
getter from each division will be appointed by the Senate;
c) for
the election of committee members for assignments that are designated as “at
large,” the top vote-getter overall will be appointed by the Senate;
d) for
divisional appointments for which there are no divisional volunteers, the
Senate will appoint the top vote-getter overall as an “at large” representative.
8)
If there are
multiple appointments with differing terms for the same committee, the
volunteers must specify which term they are volunteering for. The volunteers may make themselves available
for both longer or shorter terms.
9)
The Senate will
appoint members to achieve divisional diversity whenever possible.
Confirming and Voting
10) The Committee will provide the Senate with a list of
volunteers for committees for which the number of volunteers does not exceed
the number of positions available and ask the Senate to confirm these committee
members.
11)
The Committee will
provide the Senate with a ballot when the number of volunteers exceeds the
number of positions available and ask the Senate to confirm the results of the
vote.
Maintaining Full Faculty Representation
12) The Committee will post the list of committee
memberships on the Senate web page each semester.
13) If a vacancy occurs on a committee, the
Faculty
Hiring: The following
new faculty positions were approved by the Instructional Planning Council:
1.
Chemistry
2.
Political
Science
3.
English
as a Second Language
4.
Emergency
Medical Education
5.
Art/Sculpture
& Foundry
6.
Psychology
7.
Physical
Education/Athletics
8.
Interior
Design
If there is additional
funding or changes in the above list, the following positions were approved as
second priority:
9.
Music/Choral
10.
Speech
11.
Radio
and Television
12.
History
13.
Philosophy
According to best
estimates, the 8 positions listed as top priority will complete the full-time
faculty obligation. Jerry Patton has
indicated that funding has been set aside for them but if the positions aren’t
filled, the funds have to be returned to the State.
Discussion followed on
the need for clarification regarding the full-time faculty obligation as
determined by the Chancellor’s Office.
Motion 8 MSC Dowd,
Townsend-Merino: That the
There
was also discussion on meeting the needs of individual departments by hiring
additional faculty members without putting other faculty or staff members at
risk of losing their jobs. Since the hiring process takes so long to complete, there
was agreement that the district should move forward while gathering more
information and pending clarification from the Chancellor’s Office.
Motion 9 MSC Dowd,
Townsend-Merino:
Faculty
Research
Award
Criteria: Judy Cater
provided draft copies of the Faculty Research Award Committee Guidelines as
created by members of the Senate Task Force.
These
Guidelines will assist those faculty members serving on the task force who are
appointed each year to make recommendations to the Senate about the Faculty
Research Award. The Senate remains the body who will ultimately vote to choose
the recipient and is not bound by the recommendations made by the task force.
Motion 10 MSC Cater,
Laughlin:
Senate
Recusal Policy: Steve Spear distributed
copies of Article XIII, 5.45, of Roberts Rules of Order: Abstaining from Voting
on a Question of Direct Personal Interest.
Motion 11 MS Dowd, Dolan:
Senate Recusal
Policy
Recusal
involves a relinquishment of participation in deliberation and/or
decision-making or supervisory responsibility. Recusal by any Senator on a
particular matter because of concerns about impartiality or conflict of
interest does not reflect adversely on the involved Senator; rather, it is
simply an acknowledgement that, in a complex and interconnected society, such
cross-pressures will occur.
When
this happens, recusal is necessary to assure that a Senator’s independence of
judgment is not compromised, that the faculty’s confidence in the integrity of
the Senate is preserved, and that the Senate’s mission regarding academic and
professional matters is protected.
A
Senator will should recuse him or
herself from any participation in deliberation, decision-making responsibility
or management/supervisory responsibilities when:
1.)
A Senate decision
can be reasonably expected to directly result in an economic benefit to him or
herself, to a business or business associate, or to a spouse/domestic partner, child,
parent, or sibling.
2.)
A Senate decision
involves the appointment of a spouse or relative to a Senate committee,
campus-wide
committee, task force, or Senate office such as the Professional Development
Office, among others.
3.)
The Senate
deliberation can be reasonably assumed to reflect matters surrounding a
grievance or grievances that a Senator is pursuing.
A
Senator is required to announce to the Senate his or her recusal at the
initiation of the deliberation process, at the time of decision-making itself
if deliberation does not occur, or prior to the commencement of a
management/supervisory relationship. While failure to do so constitutes a severe
breach of professional ethics, no member can be compelled to refrain from
voting in such circumstances.
Submitted
for discussion,
M.
Drinan, Faculty Senator
Bonnie
Dowd stated that the
but that The Brown Act has
come into existence since the Faculty Constitution was originally written. She
also reported that the Task Force is looking at the Faculty Constitution and
may bring forward a similar Recusal Policy.
Steve
Spear expressed his objection of the Recusal Policy, stating that individuals
should not be compelled from voting. He stated that no one group or individual
has any right to deny the right to vote of any other individual or group for
any reason whatsoever.
Some
Senators felt that the policy was being proposed as guidelines only, with no specific
wording stating that someone can or cannot vote on an issue.
Motion 12 MSF Gordon: Gowen:
Call for a vote on Motion 11. Motion failed.
Lengthy
discussion followed on both sides of the issue.
Motion 13 MSC Towfiq, Cater:
A change in the wording of the first line in the third paragraph of the Senate
Recusal Policy changing the word “will” to “should.”
Bill
Bedford stated that he would like an opportunity to do some research on this
issue before the Senate votes on it.
Motion 14 MSC
Motion 15 MSC Townsend-Merino,
Kelber: That the
Professional
Devel.
Hours for
Attending
Board
Meetings: The
Motion 16 MSC Dowd, Miller:
That one or two Senators attend an upcoming Professional Development Review
Board meeting to obtain clarification on their recommendation of professional
development hours for attending board meetings.
Bonnie
Dowd and Judy Cater volunteered to attend a PD Review Board meeting in the
spring to discuss the matter of PD hours for board meeting attendance.
Report
from Joint
Council:
Motion 17 MSC Dolan, Dowd:
President of
the
Past
President of the
2
co-presidents of the PFF
2
past co-presidents of the PFF
Professional
Development Coordinator
8
faculty at large representing the 5 divisions, library, counseling, and PFF
Total
Faculty: 15
Bookstore Committee:
Motion 18 MSC Dowd, Dolan:
Postpone Action Item I, Bookstore Committee, until the
Procedures
for hiring
the next
College
President: The following
recommendations were made at the
·
The
timeline that will be presented at the December 9 board meeting is not
acceptable. There is a need for more input from faculty and staff.
·
The
timeline should provide search committee interviews, the finalists open forum,
and campus visits at a time when many faculty are on campus.
·
Reference
checks should be conducted at the first level interview.
·
A
Governing Board member should not be included on the first level interviews.
·
Faculty
and staff representation should be included on the second level interviews.
·
Alternative
timelines will be created.
·
Dr.
Amador should not be considered for the interim position.
·
The
Presidential Search committee should include at least nine faculty members,
providing divisional representation, one PFF member and one adjunct faculty
member. Nominations from the committee should be solicited from faculty, a poll
sent out to faculty members with their recommendations for appointments,
followed by confirmation by the
·
Do
not hire a search firm. Do the marketing in-house.
Senate members overwhelmingly
agreed with the recommendations made by faculty at the Faculty Meeting.
Motion 19 MSCU Dowd, Cater:
That no search firm be used in the hiring of the next
Superintendent/President.
Motion 20 MSCU Dowd,
Laughlin: That a college-wide task force be formed to determine
Motion 21 MSCU Dowd,
Thompson: That an interim Superintendent/President be
hired for the academic year
Motion 22 MS Dowd, Laughlin:
In the event that Motions 18, 19, and 20 are not accepted by the Governing
Board, the
Motion 22
(substitute) MSCU Dowd, Laughlin:
In the event that Motions 18, 19, and 20 are not accepted by the Governing
Board, recommendations made at the December 3, 2003, Faculty Meeting are
endorsed by the
Motion 23 MS Drinan,
Nebelsick-Tagg: That reference checks occur at the first level before any names
are forwarded to the next level. Motion withdrawn until a later date.
After
some discussion, Senate members concurred that the specifics on what should
occur at the first level can be addressed later.
Student
Voting Member
on the
Curriculum
Committee: Steve Spear reported
that the members of the Strategic Planning council have voted for a change that
the student member of the Curriculum Committee be a voting member rather than
an observer.
Teresa
Laughlin added that as Curriculum Committee Co-Chair, she support this change.
Motion 24 MSC Dowd, Miller:
That the student member of the Curriculum Committee become
a voting member rather than merely an observer.
Administrative
Evaluation
Forms: Maria Miller
provided copies of the proposed revision to the administration evaluation
forms. These will be presented to the Senate for action next semester.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at
Respectfully
submitted,
Bonnie Ann
Dowd, Secretary