Administration of Justice Advisory Board Meeting Minutes

March 21, 2002 – Page 7

LAS POSITAS COLLEGE/TRI-VALLEY ROP

ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE ADVISORY BOARD

APPROVED Minutes

March 21, 2002

4:00 p.m., Room 1602

Present:

·  Sgt. Brian Ballard, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office

·  Dr. Neal Ely, Dean of Academic Services, Las Positas College

·  Bruce Harter, Las Positas College Adjunct Faculty

·  Robert Kreitz, Superintendent, Tri-Valley ROP

·  Sgt. Dave Lang, Livermore Police Department

·  Sgt. Mike McQuiston, Albany Police Department

·  Chief Timothy Neal, Pleasanton Police Department

·  Gary Schellenberg, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office

·  Mark Tarte, Las Positas College Adjunct Faculty

·  Chief Gary Thuman, Dublin Police Department

Call to Order/Introductions:

Dr. Ely convened the Las Positas College Administration of Justice Advisory Board in Room 1602 at 4:02 p.m., Thursday, March 21, 2002. Chief Timothy Neal of the Pleasanton Police Department was welcomed as a first-time attendee; Chief Neal introduced himself as a 21-year Valley resident with an AA degree in Administration of Justice. Martha Konrad was introduced as secretary pro tem, in the absence of Mr. Weaver.

Dr. Ely explained that all vocational programs are required by the State to have an advisory board, but that Las Positas College’s Advisory Board was not instituted until last year. The College maintains a good relationship with the Regional Training Center and the Sheriff’s Department in the administration of the AJ Program.

Approval of Fall 2001 Minutes:

Gary Schellenberg moved to approve the minutes of the October 4, 2001, meeting. Bruce Harter seconded. The motion was passed unanimously.

Appreciation for Advisory Board Members:

Dr. Ely extended the gratitude of the College to Advisory Board members for their time and support. He offered staff parking permits and library cards to those who do not already have them for the 2001-2002 academic year, as well as vouchers for two free tickets to College Performing Arts events.

College Update of Programs:

  1. Spring 2002 Class Schedule/LPC Enrollments for Spring 2002:

Dr. Ely noted that enrollments for Spring Semester in Administration of Justice courses have been lower, with the exception of AJ 50, taught by Bruce Harter, which has 58 students. He called attention to the enrollments in the Friday evening Fast Track classes AJ 66 (Juvenile Procedures, 19) and AJ 74 (Gangs and Drugs, 15).

Administration of Justice 50 (Introduction to Administration of Justice) is now being offered each semester. It is hoped that the more-frequent offerings will provide more entry points so that program enrollments improve.

Dr. Ely also noted that one class, AJ 69 (Criminal Investigation), scheduled to be taught by Mike McQuiston, had to be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.

Chief Neal asked whether AJ courses were generally scheduled in the evenings. Dr. Ely said this is currently true principally because the program is taught by adjunct faculty, but in the Fall Semester, when it is hoped that Las Positas College will have its first full-time AJ instructor, there are several day-time classes scheduled.

  1. Fall 2002 Class Schedule:

Dr. Ely distributed a listing of the classes scheduled for Fall 2002. There are two night classes and three day classes scheduled. It is anticipated that a full-time instructor will be teaching four of these classes if that person is hired this Spring. Typically, five classes, 3 hours each, would be considered a full load, and the additional hours would provide time for interface with the Sheriff’s Academy.

Although daytime classes have not been offered within the past several years, nearly 60 percent of the AJ students are coming from high schools. Their schedules may be more flexible than those of adults working full time and allowing them to take, and possibly even prefer, daytime classes. It is planned that core courses will be scheduled on a rotating day/evening schedule to make them available to differing student populations.

Dr. Ely asked Sgt. Lang whether Ohlone and Chabot College offer daytime classes. Sgt. Lang said that they do, and it appears that many students want to take classes during the day. He felt that daytime schedules would also be beneficial for Las Positas College. Mr. Kreitz commented on the strength of the ROP AJ program, with three classes now and an additional class planned for Fall. All classes are “full to overflowing.”

Sgt. Lang commented on the arrangements with the Livermore Police Department that permit him to use off-duty time to teach an ROP class. The ROP class then gives him opportunity to recruit cadets for the Police Department.

Dr. Ely suggested that a class schedule which links several classes might attract students who would like to have a “one trip on campus” schedule. He spoke of his optimism about the next academic year, especially with a full-time instructor and said “things are coming together.”

Reports to the Committee:

  1. Contact status with the Regional Training Center:

The College is completing the first year of a three-year contract with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, and the relationship appears to be strong and serving both parties well. Chief Neal asked whether very many students are “non-affiliates” (students not sponsored by a Department). Mr. Schellenberg said that agencies are required to keep 15 percent of available spaces for non-affiliates, but that generally few apply. Dr. Ely commented that it would appear unlikely that persons who could not get sponsorship would be likely to be hired after graduation.

Chief Neal reported his department tells potential recruits that they will sponsor for the Academy, but that they would prefer to hire experienced personnel. He also added that there are currently few vacancies, but retirements are anticipated, and he would like to consider entry-level recruits for a fresh start.

Sgt. Lang noted that Livermore is hiring more non-Academy graduates. They are finding better luck with recruits from the ground.

  1. Status of Course Outline Rewrites and Curriculum Revisions:

Dr. Ely reported that approximately 90 percent of the current AJ course outlines are currently in the State’s Title V format. Many of them just need to have sample examination questions added.

He distributed a copy of the revised AJ Associate in Arts degree which will be effective next Fall, replacing Health 60 (Responding to Emergency, 1 unit) with Health 61 (Emergency Response, 2.5 units), and taking AJ 63 (Criminal Investigation) from the list of electives to make it a core course in the sophomore year. With the assistance of Chief Scott, the flyer for the AA degree program has been updated for counseling use to properly report salary and other employment information.

Discussion Items:

  1. 2+2 Agreements with Tri-Valley ROP:

Mr. Kreitz reported on the ROP high school classes begun three years ago with students concurrently enrolled at Las Positas College. Classes were then started in Livermore and Dublin. This year Amador High School in Pleasanton has been added, and a class will be starting next year at Granada High School.

Students had been able to come in with enough AJ courses to enter AJ 60 (Criminal Law), but the recent ROP curriculum has not articulated properly with Las Positas College. However, the curriculum has been revised and ROP students can now take the equivalent of AJ 50 (Introduction to Administration of Justice, 3 units) and move to any course at Las Positas College that requires AJ 50 as a prerequisite.

With the addition of a class at Granada High School, four ROP classes will be poised to feed into the LPC program. All ROP courses are filled, and it is anticipated that the fourth course will also be at capacity. Generally, two semesters at a high school are planned as equivalent to one semester at the College.

Sgt. Lang said that several problems with the course have been resolved. The course now uses the same text as the College, and the course outline corresponds closely to the College outline. Interesting applications are planned for high school students—for example, students design a model prison, plan a budget and staff schedule; in the juvenile justice module, the final examination is a mock trial. All AJ classes attempt to interest students by incorporating real world applications and scenarios; the Criminal Investigation class on Saturdays will process crime scenes. Sgt. Lang added that the largest student complaint is that there are no daytime classes at the College for students to move into.

With the completion of the AJ articulation, Mr. Kreitz reported that the ROP has completed its planned “spectrum” of articulation with the College. He added that the benefit of reaching students in high school is that they can learn before entering college how courses will connect to a future career. The ROP courses become a valuable tool for them and for their parents, and because it is a high school course, there is no cost to students. In addition, the ROP program becomes an excellent marketing tool for the College.

Mr. Kreitz requested that the Advisory Board vote on the proposed AJ course articulation and text selection so that the proposal can be sent very soon to the State and be in place for the next academic year. Dr. Ely moved, and Mark Tarte seconded, the proposal that the ROP Administration of Justice curriculum be accepted in fulfillment of Administration of Justice 50 (Introduction to Administration of Justice, 3 units) and that the ROP be authorized to create a 2+2 articulation for the ROP and the College. Motion passed unanimously.

  1. Accreditation 2003:

Dr. Ely explained that the College is focusing this year on preparing its Accreditation Self-Study, which is required for the Accreditation visit scheduled in Spring 2003. The draft is in progress and will be presented to the District Board of Trustees in Fall and sent to the Accreditation Commission (ACCJC) for review prior to the validation team visit.

  1. Las Positas College Presidential Search:

The “first” Presidential Search yielded three finalists; however, the College did not hire. The position has been reopened and will close on April 11. It is hoped that the College will have selected the new President by early May. Dr. Ely is a member of this hiring committee.

  1. Administration of Justice Full-Time Faculty Status:

The College is in the process of reviewing applications and hiring full-time faculty for next year. Dr. Ely anticipates great benefit to the coordination of the AJ program at the Regional Training Center through hiring the first full-time AJ instructor. The RTC program is taught by approximately 100 different adjunct faculty, with 30 short courses for Academy consuming a great deal of coordination time. Having a full-time instructor for the program will be especially helpful in maintaining curriculum academic standards.

Chief Neal asked whether there was much interest in the position. Dr. Ely responded that there had not been as many applications as he would have liked; however, it will be known soon whether the hiring process will be successful and a new instructor can be introduced at the Advisory Board meeting in the Fall Semester.

Dr. Ely also commented on the fact that the Advisory Board had recommended to the College that a full-time faculty be hired for the program and that this recommendation had been instrumental in the College’s decision to hire for AJ.

Chief Neal spoke of the fact that when he was taking his Associate degree in AJ in 1972 the course list was nearly identical in name. He asked whether courses are keeping pace with the AJ environment in terms of such things as analysis, community service, and real world situations. Mr. Harter emphasized the attention placed on current events, real world situations and trends, adding that keeping the textbook current is generally sufficient to maintain currency. He spoke of how such recent events as Columbine High School and September 11, 2001, have precipitated revisions because they significantly affect current law enforcement. Types of law enforcement topics, e.g., juveniles and gangs, designer drugs, do not change, but specifics do as they follow the current trends.

Dr. Ely explained that instructors must teach to a course outline; properly written course outlines offer latitude to bring in what is current; for example, all items on a course outline are to be covered, but the instructor is allowed to determine to what depth or breadth an item is to be covered. Sgt. McQuiston noted that newspaper coverage of September 11 and ensuing events is providing a focus for classes now and can be tied to teaching plans.

  1. Marketing the Program:

Chief Neal stressed the need to fill classes through marketing better to potential students. Dr. Ely said that it is hoped that many students will be attracted through more flexible and more frequent scheduling of the core courses. Until the current courses fill better, it is not possible to increase sections of courses other than AJ 50, but it is planned that in one semester a daytime section will be offered, in another semester an evening section. AJ 50, however, will be scheduled each semester. Having ROP articulation completed should also help LPC enrollments.

Chief Thuman inquired about the desirability of adding online AJ instruction. This has been discussed at Chabot and the Chabot College Advisory Board has voted to consider online delivery for elective courses. Dr. Ely agreed that the concept is worth exploring and might be a project for the new full-time instructor. The current model is for faculty curriculum development, and the College is definitely a proponent of online instructional delivery. However, he felt that he might be reluctant to encourage the new instructor to undertake this during the first year at the College.