Members Present: Ignacio Alarcón, Cornelia Alsheimer, Cindy Bower, Stan Bursten, Angel Cardenas
Approved 9-28-2011
Meeting Minutes for Wednesday, September 14, 2011
West Campus, BC 214, 3:00 – 5:00 pm
Members Present: Ignacio Alarcón, Cornelia Alsheimer, Cindy Bower, Stan Bursten, Angel Cardenas,
Gary Carroll, Gordon Coburn, Steve DaVega, Jeff Englert, Esther Frankel, Debbie Mackie, Jeff Meyer,
David Morris, Kenley Neufeld, Dean Nevins (President), Kathy O’Connor, Melanie Eckford-Prosser,
Gail Reynolds, Sally Saenger, Marilynn Spaventa (EVP), Pat Stark, Ann Wilkinson
Member(s) Absent: David Gilbert
Guest(s): Molly Riley, Carmen Rivero, Jan Schultz
1.0 Call to Order
1.1 Public Comments – no request received
1.2 Approval of Agenda – so approved
1.3 Approval of Minutes 08-31-11 – so approved w/correction
2.0 Reports
2.1 President Report (Dean Nevins)
President Nevins reported he had visited Academic Senate committees AP, COI, ITC, and CTL and asked each committee the same question: How do you see your committee moving forward in the future? Dr. Nevins would like Senate Committees to view themselves as experts in their area and be pro active on issues and added the conversations were excellent and he looked forward to working with each of them.
2.2 Planning and Resources Liaison Report (Kenley Neufeld)
Senate VP Kenley Neufeld, announced there was nothing to report because P&R had not yet met.
2.3 Academic Policies (Ignacio Alarcón)
Past President and AP liaison Ignacio Alarcón reported that Senate President Nevins met with AP and gave them a list of items to work on.
2.4 Faculty Development Liaison Report (Ann Wilkinson)
Senator Wilkinson reported Michael Robinson will be the new Faculty Professional Development Committee chair; and with no decision reached discussions continue on the proposed amalgamation of the FPDC and Sabbatical Leave committees.
2.5 CPC/Curriculum and Instruction Liaison Report (Kathy O’Connor)
Liaison O’Connor reported the COI chair lead the discussion of whether COI should be an Academic Senate committee, an Educational Programs committee or not be a committee. Note: Senator Bursten requested the Senate/COI discuss the enrollment CAP increase for online instruction and to create a formal policy. Liaison O’Connor added COI to begin discussion on a regular effective contact policy. ITC has requested and received more time for ranking requests. Matriculation received/discussed a new state regulation change effective summer 2012 on the number of times a student can take a course (courses that are not repeatable and the three times total would include F’s, D’s and W’s. SBCC can have local policy to allow students more repeatability minus any funding. Matriculation is also working on an enrollment management policy to bring to the next Senate meeting. Note: For now the policy on repeatable courses is staying the same and by next fall there may be new Title 5 language on legally repeatable courses. Pat Stark wanted to know how her Division with departments that offer many repeatable courses can participate and influence the conversation on repeatable courses? Kathy O’Connor recommended the state Academic Senate. CAC continues doing business as usual to meet the Scheduling Office print deadlines.
CPC announced the special Aspen Group Recognition for SBCC and Jack Friedlander would attend a White House Champions of Change conference with the other nominees. Dean McLellans’ position would be replaced and the announcement would go out soon. Budget discussions continued at CPC (a handout of the tentative budget was distributed) with particular interest to the high cost of two requests, while the college is in a workload reduction time, for a total of $217,000 1) ESP ($117,000) and 2) Express to Transfer startup ($100,000) and the various ways they might be funded. Kathy Molloy explained that over half of the Title 5 grant money for ESP was allocated for technology and there was nothing in the budget for counseling. We do not need all the technology money and with permission and approval from the Department of Education we are asking to use any unspent technology money for counselors, at least for the next year and then evaluate. Marilyn Spaventa explained the Express to Transfer, came about from another Title 5 grant specifically for Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM), to build out from the ESP program and for other students. We would not want to lose the momentum of what we have been building on. The Express to Transfer pilot program would not only be for STEM student, it would be for the Social Science and Business student (and would basically be for the much needed shoring up of the Transfer Center).
Kathy O’Connor added other discussions at CPC included: the program review process and deadline; when the dates for the budget forum might be; when the increased enrollment fees would take place; and the ‘on hold for now’ Amazon tax ruling and the state budget.
Request: College Plan results or draft is needed for the tie in to Program Review goals and objectives.
2.6 IA Liaison Report (Gary Carroll)
Gary Carroll reported the IA held a Plenary session Friday last that was very well attended. Voting on the contract proposal is underway.
2.7 EVP Report (Marilynn Spaventa)
EVP Spaventa reported the deans were not able to meet the targeted budget reduction and they are now in the process of looking at the backfills that were given to categorical programs. It is next year that will be the challenge; everything taken out this year will not be there and we will need to dig even deeper.
In response to a question from a previous meeting the handout “International Student Enrollment Update” was provided. Disclaimer for the charts: this is what students declare on their applications and can change. Work in progress: cost benefit analysis; some unquantifiable info would be how much more international students spend in the bookstore or cafeteria or how many more counseling hours or faculty attention international students require.
2.8Former Senate President, Kathy Molly wanted to thank the Academic Senate for the support they gave to the Student Success Initiative and the Partnership for Student Success and said she believed it was because of the support demonstrated by the Academic Senate on behalf of students that made it possible for the Aspen Institute to recognize SBCC as a top ten finalist in the nation (and the only college in California) for their College Excellence Program award. Note: A roundtable of all top ten institutions will convene at the White House. The attention is to bring forward the discussion of education and the value of community colleges. Aspen Institute site visit: September 29 and 30.
3.0 Unfinished Business
3.1 Master Teacher Evaluation (Attachment B)
M/S/C To approve the modified BP 2100 VIII: PROCEDURE FOR EVALUATION OF TENURED “MASTER TEACHERS” (Carroll/Frankel)
4.0 New Business
4.1 Acceptance of Committee Chair Reports for 2010-2011 (distributed at Retreat)
The year-end Academic Senate committee reports will be distributed, by President Nevins, to the members of the Board of Trustees at the next Board meeting.
M/S/C To move the Academic Senate year-end committee reports to Action (Frankel/Neufeld)
M/S/C To approve the year-end committee reports for distribution to BOT (Frankel/Carroll)
4.2 Course Realignment Forum Report
President Nevins reported that VP Neufeld took great notes on the excellent discussions that took place The often heated discussions by the fully engaged faculty were informative and respectful at all times. Recommendations/Ideas/Things we would like to see happen:
1) Start with backing off on Programs created for the pursuit of FTEs
2) Preserve the breadth of programs/courses – keep what makes SBCC viable
3) Consider protecting the smaller departments
Dr. Nevins would like permission to convene a special ad hoc committee/workgroup – a larger representative group for identifying and setting the specific recommendations that need to be ready by September 30, 2011.
4.3 Continuing Education Representative Selection Process
Dr. Nevins reported that Superintendent/President Friedlander planned to convene a new visioning committee about Continuing Education and since the Academic Senate represents all faculty, credit and non credit, Dr. Nevins asserted his position that the faculty voice on the committee would need to come from the Academic Senate. The big vision committee would have a broad mandate to advise the Superintendent/President on various matters pertaining to Continuing Education e.g. funding models; what process for canceling classes; all other matters. The number of Continuing Education faculty needed: ten. Other constituent groups would be represented. President Nevins then asked the Senators: What process are we going to use to select these individuals (all Continuing Education faculty) and what process in general would everyone like to see in place. Recommendation: President Nevins to contact CE faculty directly; to also request a nominal stipend for participants; and to keep the Senate informed. Request to have problem corrected: Re email communication with CE faculty/Adjunct faculty. Note: the moderated Groupwise email will no longer be in place – however I.T. to continue the blocking of spam.
4.4 Background for Budget Development 2012-13 and Beyond (Attachment C)
Dr. Nevins proceeded to go through the attached budget document and reported that our cuts take into account the level of the cut only; it does not take into account our increasing expenses. Therefore cuts we need to make need to be greater than what we have been talking about. Benefit costs are increasing while salary expenses are going down; salaries and benefits make up 89-90% of our expenses and the percentage keeps going up. Senator Frankel added you cannot just look at Expenditures; Fund balances are important too. Construction Fund, not a part of the General Fund budget information. Construction Fund an unfortunate term because it is about infrastructure not a building fund. VP Neufeld added more detailed expenditure information is available if needed. Things to consider: Do we want to use General Fund dollars to backfill Measure V projects. Budget transfer discussions: We need to give our CPC reps directions to act on our behalf at CPC. Re: Attachment C page 3 of 4 bulleted items: #1 should be clarified; and #4 should be deleted. President Nevins added if we do not address the issue of increased expenses they will accumulate and all cuts will need to be made in year three.
5.0 Adjourn
Minutes September 14, 2011 Page 1 of 3
Academic Senate Meeting