Department Chairs Caucus Minutes
10/24/06
Attendance: Dan Wanner (chair), John Freitas, Mattie Moon, Vaughn Obern, Roger Wolf, Boris Lopez, Fred Fate, Barbara Vasquez, Arax Cohen, Rochelle Sechooler, Gayle Partlow, Jeanne Dunphy, Sonia Juan, Alexandra Maeck, Hayward Nishioka
Guests: Shalayman Duke, Susan Matranga, Andrea Smith, Dana Cohen
Convened: 12:41 p.m.
Agenda:
Student Accommodations: Susan Matranga, Andrea Smith & Shalayman Duke
Presented discussion on the kinds of services provided to disabled students and how those services impact the classroom. It is important for OSS to know how each classroom and instructor operates because that impacts the kinds of services that are provided to the student in the classroom. OSS wants to meet with departments and discuss ways to better help the disabled students overall and in specific cases as well. Discussed the difficulties in converting texts to e-texts and need to have instructors submit textbooks as early as possible and the same desire for timeliness applies to exams that need to be converted in to alternate forms for the student. General discussion of disabled student needs also involved questions about the evacuation plans for wheelchairs and Dr. Duke referred those inquiries to Dr. Arvidsu’s office.
Revised Funding Slope Model: Roger Wolf
Discussion of Prioritization Budget Request handout facilitated by Roger Wolf. Discussed strategy of some departments to fully fund their requests by breaking things down into discrete units that meet the minimums of under $10G per request. Dana reminds that in annual unit plans need to make sure that A&I costs are included when major equipment is purchased so that installation costs are budgeted.
Committee Reports and Open Discussion:
Discussion of BPR review in EPC and timetable of completion. Voc Ed Chairs meeting results: funding for website and are taking it to a web master for design. Prop A/AA intestered in meeting open house Nov 20 after meeting. Library ground breaking is Dec 13th. W Richmond co chair of A/AA to meet with all departs and discuss renovations and needs that are not being met. Wanner to begin collecting that information via email to forward to A/AA. Sechooler advanced idea that the lack of progress in the construction is adversely affecting enrollment. Moon suggested taking these issues to Work Environment, possibly become grievance, et cetera. AFT meeting had discussion re: SAP problems and lawsuit is ongoing. Looking at changing schedule of warrants because SAP cannot handle doing two different kinds of paychecks (classified and certificated) as well as different pay cycles and assignments.
Review of FTES Calculations handout. Moon asked about the state funding being discussed at the next Budget Comm mtg and how LACC can get the equalization of FTES money since LACC is getting less per FTES than any other college in the District. Dana talked about the different approaches needed to end the stabilization funding and more to a equalized funding that will wipe out the deficit that has been caused by this unequal funding. More discussion regarding the overload letter that will help to reduce the deficit.
Discussion about timeframe regarding canceling classes, cutting classes before returning students have a chance to enroll.
Discussion of impact of shortened winter holiday schedule on winter intersession enrollment.
Discussion of hiring freeze: Moon asked why a General Foreman has been hired if there is a freeze when the position has not previously existed in the budget.
SIEF & VTEA from last year requests are all funded, $1mil in Learning Skills. The art gallery and some nursing positions will be funded due to outside funding. VP of Admin is putting together a budget CD with whiz-bang software that chairs can use to keep track of accounts; training sessions are being planned and scheduled. The issue of greater email storage space is still an ongoing problem.
Adjourned: 2:08 p.m.
Minutes recorded by Marsha Tomlinson