Minutes of the

MEETING OF THE FACULTY SENATE

September 22, 2003

 

APPROVED

 

PRESENT:                             Chris Barkley, Bill Bedford, Judy Dolan, Bonnie Ann Dowd, MaryAnn Drinan, Brent Gowen, Barb Neault Kelber, Teresa Laughlin, Stan Levy, Dennis Lutz, Maria Miller, Marilee Nebelsick-Tagg, Sue Norton, Perry Snyder, Dan Sourbeer, Steve Spear, Sara Thompson, Katie Townsend-Merino, Anne Voth, Tamara Weintraub

 

ABSENT:                               Judy Cater, Martha Evans, Fari Towfiq

 

GUESTS:                                Dan Finkenthal

                                               

CALL TO ORDER:               The meeting was called to order by the president, Steve Spear, at 2:00 p.m., in Room SU-30.

 

Approval of Minutes:        

 

Motion 1                                MS Barkley, Nebelsick-Tagg: To approve the minutes of September 15, 2003.

 

                                                Bonnie Ann Dowd stated that she included a verbatim transcript of Information Item N because two senators requested that the minutes include direct quotes of statements they made.  However, Bonnie felt that because such statements were part of a dialogue it was inappropriate for her to unilaterally select which statements to transcribe verbatim and which to paraphrase so the entire discussion on this information item was transcribed verbatim.  Brief discussion followed on Robert’s Rules of Order guidelines for minutes and historical practice of paraphrasing discussion in minutes.

 

Motion 1 (substitute)          MSC Barkley, Miller: To postpone approval of the minutes of September 15, 2003, until October 6, 2003 to allow the Senate Secretary time to replace the verbatim wording with a summary of the discussion under “The Brown Act and Faculty Senate Actions” information item.

 

Proxy Votes:                          Bonnie Ann Dowd announced the following proxies:

                                                Tamara Weintraub holding a proxy for Judy Cater

 

Committee

Appointments:

 

Motion 2                                MSC Kelber, Dolan: Faculty Senate approval of the following committee appointments:

 

                                                Distinguished Faculty Award Committee

                                                Steve Bertram – Trade and Industry Full-time faculty

                                                Joe Limer – Part-time faculty

                                               

                                                Safety and Security Committee

                                                Karen Mifflin – MNHS, Math

 

Motion 3                                MSC Barkley, Sourbeer: The Faculty Senate accepts the results of the ballot for the following committee appointments:

                                               

                                    Academic Standards and Practices Committee

                                                Kalyna Lesyna - Social and Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Sciences

                                               

                                                Distinguished Faculty Award Committee

                                                Karan Huskey – Counseling and Matriculation, Counselor

 

                                                Institutional Review Committee  At – Large Position

                                                John Valdez - Social and Behavioral Sciences, Multicultural Studies

 

                                                Sabbatical Leave Committee

                                                Carol Lowther- Languages and Literature, ESL

 

Motion 4                                MSC Barkley, Kelber: Faculty Senate approval of the following Senators to the Academic Technology Task Force:

 

                                                Judy Dolan

                                                Marilee Nebelsick-Tagg

                                                Sue Norton

                                                Tamara Weintraub

 

                                                Chris Barkley added that the purpose of this task force is to address the issue of whether a Senate sub-committee is necessary to address the issue of academic technology. Its members will also include faculty serving on the Computer Coordinating and Technology Committees.

 

Motion 5                                MSC Barkley, Nebelsick-Tagg: Faculty Senate approval of Anne Voth to the Sabbatical Leave Committee.

 

ADA Replacement/

Attrition:                                Steve Spear reported that the issue of Academic Department Assistant (ADA) Replacement/Attrition is on the agenda for the Instructional Planning meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 24th. The Senate voted at its last meeting that Department Chairs should be paramount in inclusion in the decision-making process in relation to ADA replacement issues. Because the mid-year budget adjustments are not going to be addressed until January or February, there is no rush to complete this process. Discussion followed on the criteria being used to determine how these proposals are coming forward. Faculty members have no input on the number of staff hired in other areas on campus, but should be involved in the process for their own departments and the areas where they have expertise. It was suggested that the Senate President meet with Berta Cuaron to discuss this issue from the faculty perspective.

 

                                                Also discussed was the need for clarification on this issue as being an Academic and Professional Matter, with input from the Senate being an essential part of the process.

 

Motion 6                                MSC Dowd, Levy: The Faculty Senate believes that any decisions regarding ADA’s is an Academic and Professional Matter, and therefore, in accordance with the district’s policy that they will rely upon the Faculty Senate, we are asking that the Vice President for Instruction meet with the Senate on September 29th prior to moving forward through the Instructional Planning Council any changes to ADA positions.

                                               

Senate Email voting:            This item was postponed until September 29, 2003.

 

Committee on Committees-

Terms & Service:                  This item was postponed until September 29, 2003.

 

Past President Designee

Of The Faculty:                   

 

Motion 7                                MSC Barkley, Nebelsick-Tagg: The Faculty Senate directs the Elections Committee to solicit faculty members to fill the vacancy on the Faculty Council for the designee position of Past President of The Faculty.

 

Motion 8                                MSC Nebelsick-Tagg, Miller, To extend the meeting.

 

Minutes & Procedures:

 

Motion 9                                MSC Dowd, Bedford: That the audio tapes of every Faculty Senate meeting be archived for one full semester (i.e., 16 weeks) so that they are available for review by anyone at anytime for an entire semester.

 

Motion 10                              MSC Dowd, Levy: That the Faculty Senate secretary be directed to prepare minutes by summarizing discussions rather than providing verbatim transcripts of Senate meetings.  However, if any Senator, faculty member, or guest requests verbatim inclusion of a statement by providing a written and preferably electronic copy, it is to be included in the minutes as a verbatim quote.

Ad Hoc Committee on

Senate Credibility and

Integrity:                               

 

Motion 11                              MSC Dowd, Nebelsick-Tagg: That the Committee on Committees issue in relation to a faculty member’s appointment to the Instructional Planning Council last year be sent back to the Personnel Standards & Practices Committee (i.e., last years  committee members who originally dealt with the issue) for a final report to be brought back to the Faculty Senate.

 

                                                Based on the discussions held on this issue, some feel that the integrity of the Senate has been questioned.  There was some discussion on whether it was appropriate to create a sub-committee or assign to one of our existing committees a task to review Senate committee processes to ensure we are held to the highest possible standards.

 

Motion 12                              MS Dowd, Nebelsick-Tagg: That a 3 to 5 member Faculty Senate Sub Committee be formed to review Senate committee structures, current practices in relation to committee appointments, and address issues of how we can hold ourselves as a body accountable in order to foster trust of the Faculty Senate by those we represent.

                                               

                                                There was discussion on whether there was a need to form a sub-committee or whether there was an existing committee where this could be addressed.  

 

                                                Senate members also discussed the fact that the issue may be merely a need to ensure that the current constitutional processes are being followed.  Perhaps it would be more appropriate to just reaffirm what procedures we currently have in place and how to use them and ensure accountability and reportability, rather than forming another committee.

 

                                                Bonnie Dowd stated that it is important that no one person be placed in a situation where they are accused of abusing or actually abusing Senate power whether perceived or actual.  The Senate has a responsibility to its constituency to ensure that it holds itself to standards of integrity.  Bonnie was asked to further clarify by bringing a motion back to the Senate.

 

Motion 13                              MSC Barkley, Dowd: To postpone Motion 12 until September 29, 2003.

 

The Brown Act/Faculty

Senate Actions/Freedom

of Speech:                             Dan Finkenthal distributed copies of a letter to the Senators from Shannon Lienhart which outlines three basic tenets of democracy that she feels are necessary for the Senate to acknowledge in order to begin to operate in a more ethical manner. Also distributed was a document outlining, “Why Serial Meetings Should Not Occur.” Dan told the Senate that action was pending against the Senate for violation of the Brown Act and that he wanted the Senators to know that this was not being done for any personal reasons but rather because he believes such violations took place therefore, requiring a legal opinion and interpretation.

 

Sabbatical Leave

Replacement for

Committee Membership:     Postponed until September 29, 2003.

 

Student Equity/Paperless

College/Digital Campus:     Senate members discussed Palomar’s ongoing attempts at becoming a “paperless college” and the concerns that some students have limited access to technology. The Matriculation and Transfer Advisory Committee is currently discussing a proposal to transfer everything over to student email exclusively. Just one of the questions which follow that proposal includes ease of access. Although it has been pointed out that students can use computers in the library on campus and at the public library, there is still the issue of access to those computers, and the length of time that they can be on those computers. Even those with computers at home may have to share them with other family members, thus limiting their use. Although Palomar is talking about moving in this direction for the sake of efficiency, we owe it to students to speak on their behalf that they all deserve an equal shot at being efficient students. If they don’t all have an equal opportunity to do so because of this technological issue then faculty members need to concern themselves with the issue.

 

                                                It was also pointed out that some part-time and full-time faculty members do not have convenient computer access

                                               

                                                Judy Dolan added that it was reported at the September 18 Registration Committee meeting that in the Spring 2004 Schedule there will be no mention of PAR even though PAR will still be available. In the Summer 2004 Schedule PAR will be phased out all together.

 

                                                Senate members requested that this item be placed on the Senate agenda for action on September 29, 2003.

 

Reconfiguration of Student

Equity Committee:                Draft copies of the reconfiguration of the Student Equity Committee were provided. Steve Spear indicated that the changes are being proposed due to the passage of the affirmative action initiative. The Student Equity Committee will coordinate its activities with those of the Planning Committees, Curriculum Committee, Registration Committee, Faculty and Staff Diversity Advisory Committee, Matriculation and Transfer Advisory Committee, and other District committees as necessary.

 

                                                This item will be presented for Senate action on September 29, 2003.

 

Motion 14                              MSC Bedford, Levy: To adjourn the meeting.

 

                                                The meeting was adjourned at 3:27 p.m.

 

                                                Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

                                                Bonnie Ann Dowd, Secretary