Minutes of the

Minutes o= f the

MEETING O= F THE FACULTY SENATE

March 12, 2007

APPROVED

PRES= ENT: &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Bill Bedford, Monika Brannick, Mary Cassoni, Judy Cater, Molly Faulkner, Jenny Fererro, Brent Gowen, Lawrence Hahn, Richard Hishmeh, Julie Ivey, Teresa Laughlin, Stan Levy, Jackie Martin-Klement, Marilee Nebelsick-Tagg, Sue Nor= ton, Patrick O’Brien, Perry Snyder, Sherry Titus, Fari Towfiq

ABSE= NT: &= nbsp; &nbs= p; =

GUES= TS: &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Jason Dunn, Bob Gilson, Barb Neault Kelber, Deborah Paes de Barros, Joseph Park, Karen Huffman, David Garrick

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CALL= TO ORDER: &= nbsp; The meeting was called to order by the president, Brent Gowen, at 2:00 p.m., in Room SU-30.

Appr= oval of Minutes: &n= bsp;

Motion 1&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; MSC Nebelsick-Tagg, Laughlin: Faculty Senate approval of the minutes of March 5, 2007, as amended. The motion carried.<= /span>

Motion 2&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; MSC Nebelsick-Tagg, Laughlin: To suspend the agenda to address all Action items= on the agenda. The motion carried.

Committee

Appointments: &n= bsp; None

Curriculum:&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; No Curriculum items were presented.

Part-time Faculty

on Committees and in

the Evaluation Process: The Faculty Senate has discussed t= he issue of part-time faculty participation on committees at its last several meetings, acknowledging positive benefits of making part-time faculty eligi= ble to serve, such as additional faculty representation, specialized knowledge,= and professional development opportunities.&nb= sp; However, Senators have also expressed concern that part-time faculty members, in the political context of committee work, are not protected by tenure or full-time contractual employment and they are not paid for their efforts.

One part-time Senator reminded that committee participation by part-time faculty would be voluntary; if part-timers wish to be considered for committee serv= ice, they should be given the opportunity. Many committees currently have faculty vacancies that potentially could be filled by part-time faculty members, who could provide not only useful perspectives but also specialized knowledge i= n particular areas.

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Relating to the issue of part-time faculty participating in the evaluation process, = Senators discussed online access to the evaluation forms, as well as the need for up= dated email addresses. Although most part-time faculty members may not have conta= ct with administrators, those who do should be able to participate, particular= ly now that the evaluation process occurs electronically rather than through p= aper distribution. One Senator noted that each department’s Academic Department Assistant is now being asked to provide updated email addresses = of the part-time faculty in her or his department to Human Resources each year= .

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Motion 3&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; MSC Laughlin, Bedford: The Faculty Senate invites all part-time faculty to subm= it their names for committee service and to participate in the evaluation of administrators. The motion carried.

Motion 4&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; MSC Cater, Ivey: To suspend the agenda to address Action item E, Textbook Libra= ry Letter. The motion carried.

Textbook Library

Letter: = ; &n= bsp; = ; Senato= rs were provided a copy of a letter that will be distributed to all department chairs, asking the chairs to report back on their faculty’s interest = and, if interested, their plans for participating in a textbook library.

Motion 5&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; MSC Laughlin, Fererro: Faculty Senate approval of the distribution of the Textb= ook Library letter to all department chairs. The motion carried.

Motion 6&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; MSC Fererro, Nebelsick-Tagg: To suspend the agenda to address Action item D, Academic Due Process. The motion carried.

Academic Due

Process:&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Senators briefly considered how the Faculty Senate should discuss this matter before bringing forward a motion.

Motion 7&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; MSC Snyder, Laughlin: The Faculty Senate will discuss the Academic Due Process agenda item as a committee of the whole. The motion carried.

Brent Gowen provided a brief history of the incident in which the Director of Stu= dent Affairs changed students’ final grades assigned by their instructor. = The Palomar Faculty Federation has brought evidence to the Vice President of Instruction and has asked that the administration investigate this matter fully. PFF Co-President Julie Ivey noted that three other Palomar College employees have also been named as individuals who participated in changing = of grades.

Senators discussed how to proceed and whether additional information should be shared with the Senate body before formal action is taken. Brent Gowen indicated t= hat the Director of Student Affairs was unable to attend today’s Senate meeting due to a prior commitment.

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Motion 8&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; MSC Bedford, Laughlin: That the Faculty Senate discuss the Academic Due Process agenda item as a Senate body. The motion carried.<= /p>

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; Julie Ivey read the resolution unanimously supported by the Palomar Faculty Federation Eboard:

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; Whereas the assignment of student grades is solely the responsibility of the facult= y member,

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; Whereas state ed code 76224 states that “when grades are given for any course= of instruction taught in a community college district, the grade given to each student shall be the grade determined by the instructor of the course, and = the determination of the student’s grade by the instructor, in the absenc= e of mistake, fraud, bad faith, or incompetence, shall be final.”

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; Whereas clear and compelling evidence has been presented indicating that a faculty = member’s grades have been illegally altered by an administrator violating this provi= sion in Ed code,

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; The Palomar Faculty Federation requests a formal investigation be initiated in = this matter and that the administrator be charged and placed on administrative l= eave while the investigation takes place.

Motion 9&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; MSF Bedford, Faulkner: The Faculty Senate supports the Palomar Faculty Federati= on Eboard resolution concerning the grade change made by a Palomar College administrator. The motion failed.

Motion 10&nb= sp; = &nb= sp; MSC Bedford, Laughlin: The Faculty Senate directs its President, Brent Gowen, to initiate Academic Due Process in response to the changing of students’ final grades by the Director of Student Affairs. The motion carried.

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; Discussion occurred on the appropriate way for the Senate to proceed in this matter. S= ome Senators were reluctant to recommend that the administrator be placed on administrative leave because they had not seen copies of the evidence. It w= as noted that the Senate President and PFF Co-President had seen the email exchanges between the part-time faculty member and the Director of Student Affairs as well as the Director’s signature on the request for a grade change.

Motion 11&nb= sp; = &nb= sp; MSC Laughlin, Levy: To vote on Motion 10. The motion carried.=

Motion 12&nb= sp; = &nb= sp; MSC Laughlin, Nebelsick-Tagg: To extend the meeting until 3:45 p.m. The motion carried.

Motion 13&nb= sp; = &nb= sp; MSF Levy, Cater: To Table motion 9. The motion failed.

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; The following motion was made as a replacement for Motion 9:<= /span>

Motion 14&nb= sp; = &nb= sp; MSC Bedford, Brannick: Whereas the assignment of student grades is solely the responsibility of the faculty member,

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; Whereas clear and compelling evidence has been presented indicating that a faculty member’s grades have been illegally altered by an administrator viola= ting this provision in Ed code,

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; The Palomar College Faculty Senate requests a formal investigation be initiated= in this matter immediately. The motion carried.

ADJO= URNMENT: &= nbsp; The meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Respectfully submitted,

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Teresa Laughlin, Secretary