Academic Senate

April9, 2013

Present: Tony Anderson, Christopher Moss, Carol King, Carol Kimbrough, Theresa Carbajal, Nancy Schur-Beymer, Melissa Stave,Mark Weber, Peggy Mayfield, Hetty Yelland

Absent: Melissa Hornstein, Steve Triano

Guests: Stephanie Low, Brian Lofman, Richard Prystowsky, Terri Pyer, Alma Arriga, Ann Wright, Larry Adams, Jeanne Hori-Garcia, Andrea Zarate,

Call to Order 3:05 p.m.

  1. Adopt Agenda MSA (Kimbrough/Moss)
  2. Approval of Minutes from 3/19/13 MSA (Schur-Beymer/Kimbrough)
  3. Public Comments:(1) Stephanie Low announced Summer 2013 schedule is available online (only 200 hard copies printed.) New maps and signage will be put up on campus during the break; building names will be replaced with letters, beginning with the library which will be “A.” (2) Larry Adams has decided to return to the Senate as representative for his division. (3) Richard Prystowsky expected discussion of the Discontinuance Process to be on the agenda today. Since it is an accreditation issue, it must be done before the end of the semester(and will be a discussion item 4/23/13.) (4) Chris Moss asked that any comments regarding effects of upgrading office computers be forwarded to him.
  4. President’s Report: Tony Anderson would like more to report at Board meetings before summer break. He feels more faculty voices should be heard in general. Tony mentioned one member of the accreditation team asking how the Academic Senate had allowed the closure of the reading/writing and math labs, and that we (faculty) needed to stop acting like victims.
  5. Reports
  6. Terri Pyerand Alma Arriga from HR came to discuss selection committees and procedures. Terri distributed three different selection procedures—one for faculty, one for administrators, and one more general version that may have been drafted by Dr. Flannigan but never brought through the Academic Senate. Senators had questions as to how these were written and where faculty/staff could access them. They are currently under Human Resources on the R-drive. Terri explained how faculty were placed on selection committees—Senate president forwards possible names to discuss with head of HR (currently Terri), who adds members to those committees to comply with diversity laws. No “mistakes” have been made in the past few years when Senate appointments of faculty to selection committees have been ignored or changed, or completely bypassed when time was an issue. Terri also asked for participation in reviewing and revising the official selection procedure. Faculty job descriptions originate at the Cabinet level and then include input from discipline faculty. Senators expressed the importance of having tenured faculty serve on these committees.
  7. Election–Nancy Schur-Beymer announced senators running for office: Tony Anderson for President, Carol Kimbrough for 1st VP, Carol King for Secretary/Treasurer. Still needed: 2nd VP and Member-at-large. The official slate will be announced on 4/23/13; contact Nancy if you’re interested in running for an office.
  1. Action Items –MSA (Schur-Beymer/Moss) to add PE selection committee appointments back on agenda. MSA (Moss/Schur-Beymer) to appoint Larry Adams, Matt Collins, and Andy Vasher to the PE faculty selection committee.
  1. Discussion Items
  2. Accreditation—Brian Lofman brought the 5 commendations and 12 recommendations from the team’s exit report out. He stressed we need an evaluation process for adjuncts.

MSA (Adams/Weber) to move ECE up in order on the agenda.

  1. Early Childhood Education—Andrea Zarate (and Jeanne Hori-Garcia, who had to leave) asked that Tony oppose the proposed new discipline “Teacher Education” that will be voted on at the Spring Plenary because it excludes ECE faculty from teaching those classes, even if they have a valid teaching credential. The ECE discipline specifically addresses learning and teaching while many others do not include this.Possession of content knowledge required for teacher preparation is not dependent on possession of a K-12 teaching credential. This proposal has been discussed at length in various meetings across the state, including the Area B meeting in March, and it appears there is little opposition. It may be too late to act on this. Tony will bring information from the plenary.
  2. Resolution: Faculty Representation on Hartnell College Foundation MSA (Adams/Moss) to bring this back as action item next meeting.
  3. Resolution: Non-tenured faculty on Administration hiring committees—tabled
  4. Follow–up on resolution on Management review--tabled
  5. Should we form a subcommittee to discuss faculty participation on selection committees –to be part of decisions made by new task force with HR/Terri Pyer
  1. Announcements (Senators)--none
  2. Adjournment 5:05 p.m.