Fullerton College Faculty Senate

Approved Minutes

for the Meeting held September 8, 2005

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Present
	Academic Services............................	Gayle Cebrian
	Business...........................................	Dale Craig, Joel Willenbring
	Counseling........................................	Elias, Dominguez, Karyn Nguyen
	Fine Arts...........................................	Bill Hayner, Chuck Ketter
	Humanities........................................	Danielle Fouquette, John Ison, Robert Lundergan, Miguel Powers, Jeff Rodine
	Library..............................................	Michele Fitzsimmons
	Math/Computer Science.....................	Kelly Klassen, Deborah McQueen
	Natural Sciences...............................	Jeff Feaster, Jacob Sapiro
	Part-Time Faculty..............................	Jim Book
	Physical Education............................	Jim Kiefer, Jim Snyder
	Social Sciences.................................	Susan Grabiel, Diana Kyle, Arienne Turner
	Student Services................................	Paul McKinley
	Technology/Engineering......................	Kevin Sampson
	At-large.............................................	Elise Donley, Callista Lee, Ken Lewis, Sally Moore, Marcus Wilson
	Associated Students..........................	Alejandra Goodrich
	President..........................................	Joumana McGowan
	Past President...................................	Rolando Sanabria
	Secretary..........................................	Jane Troop
	Treasurer...........................................	Ken Collins
	At-large, Curriculum Chair...................	Doug Eisner
Guests: Kathleen Hodge, Sylvia Pimentel
Absent
	Technology........................................	Dennis Howey

I. CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m. by President Joumana McGowan.

II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

M/S/U (Sampson/McQueen) to approve the Minutes of the May 19, 2005 meeting.

III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

M/S/U (McQueen/Sampson) to approve the agenda for this meeting.

IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS

Kevin Sampson brought to the attention of the Senate an article in the Daily Legal Journal highlighting Academic Senates having a hand in professional matters on their respective campuses. This article concerned a legal opinion relating to the role of faculty organizations in the development of faculty hiring procedures and criteria. The court found that, based on the intent of the legislative body of the State of California, approved faculty bodies, such as Faculty Senates, must be part of the development of any new faculty hiring procedures and criteria. This ruling reflects the opinion of the State courts that community college faculty have a legal right to fully participate in many area of college operations; specifically those related to hiring.

Callista Lee reminded Senators that old online courses will be removed from the distance learning server and that instructors should back up their course material.

Mike Fitzsimmons announced that the library log on issue persists. Some computers can be used without logging on while others require users to log on.

Chuck Ketter mentioned that the Art Gallery will feature an exhibit of the late John Parker’s work.

At this point in the meeting Dr. Hodge was invited to speak. She addressed some of the accomplishments and ongoing projects of the Faculty Senate and expressed her appreciation of the Senate’s part in the accreditation process. She also mentioned that this body has done a lot of work and that she will ask it to do more in the coming year.

Relative to the college organization, Dr. Hodge indicated again that it will center on three Vice Presidents. She also mentioned that she will ask for faculty input on the structure of programs and ask for ideas about program realignment if necessary.

A new governance model has been instituted that includes a classified Senate. This will strengthen the institution. This new governance model will be reviewed at the end of the year.

The Katrina Fund took in approximately $1,800 yesterday (Wednesday, September 7), and it looks like it will take in about the same amount today (Thursday, September 8). The funds will be donated to the Red Cross. On Friday, September 9 the blood drive will start.

Dr. Hodge addressed the Library log-on issue. She indicated that her request was that, until a plan to handle such student access was in place, the current procedures would remain. However, this was apparently more difficult than anticipated. The major problem is to balance student access with security concerns about the overall network. The FC network backbone must be protected because its failure would affect a large number of students and faculty. We will work on solving this problem.

Dr. Hodge indicated that she wants the six findings from the Accreditation team to be part of our goals this year. One of these is how to integrate Student Learning Outcomes into the college. The faculty must take the lead on this issue. On the issue of diversity, Dr. Hodge indicated that the issue is not how to achieve diversity but how to maintain the diversity we have achieved. This will be done by spending money on the student initiatives. As Dr. Hodge has said many times, where we put our money is what we see as our priorities.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORTS

President’s Report

By way of an orientation, President McGowan explained the contents of the Senate binder and how to use them as well as the role of the Senate. She announced that non-Senators may only speak during the public comment section of the meeting so that the Senators will have more time to conduct business. Invited guests can speak on their agenda items. For example, as an invited guest, Nilo Niccolai could speak on an agenda item having to do with campus computing.

The Chancellor met with the Senate presidents on June 20 to discuss the “unlawful discrimination” policy. Two new Trustees have been appointed. They are Michael Matsuda and Barbara Dunsheath They are serving out the remaining terms of Nancy Rice and Otto Lacayo.

Relative to the Child Care Center, some of the teachers’ assistants were given pink slips at the end of May. Dr. Hodge, with the help of several managers and faculty members, were able to change the outcome.

The Senate Exec. would like some direction from the Senate on the organization chart as well as the hiring committees for VP of Instruction and VP of Student Services. The question was whether to keep the same hiring committee or elect a completely new hiring committee. It was indicated that if the committees were maintained, two members, one from each committee, would have to be replaced.

M/S/U (Wilson/Book) to maintain those faculty members who have already served on the Vice President of Student Services and Vice President of Instruction hiring committees.

It was announced that the Study Abroad Committee would like to fly the position of chairperson as a three-year term.

M/S/U (Wilson/Book) that the term for the position of Study Abroad Committee Chair be advertised as three (3) years.

Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Collins circulated the snack sign-up sheet among the Senators.

V. CURRICULUM COMMITTEE REPORT

Doug Eisner reviewed with the Senate how the Curriculum Committee works, when it meets, and what it does. He further explained that the committee assumes that any proposals that go to the Curriculum Committee have the approval of their divisions.

Doug brought up the issue of class size. In 2003-2004 a subcommittee developed a set of guidelines, but it was never approved by Fullerton’s Curriculum Committee or DCCC. He indicated that Cypress College has been using these class size guidelines. The Senate President will be sending the guidelines to Senate members via e-mail so they can read them for themselves. These guidelines are not Board policy even though they seem to have become policy at Cypress.

The faculty employment contract specifies that only the Curriculum Committee can decide class size. This puts the committee into the situation of using both pedagogical and economic criteria when setting class size. The District has repeatedly used the number 35 as the goal for average class size. It has been argued that this is the minimum average class size necessary for economic viability. Since this will be adopted by DCCC and since the VPs have a vote at DCCC, the District’s assertion about a required average class size must be taken seriously. It was noted that six child care classes were turned down because their class size was too low, although there was some confusion about the class size approved by the Committee.

It was reported that the Chancellor indicated he will resist a mass class size reduction. It was pointed out by members of the Senate that our employment contract specifies faculty have control of class size for a reason. If the District wants to argue for an average class size, we must insist on hard economic data. A Senator noted that teaching a basic load, each full-time instructor generates about $138,000 of FTES per year. It was felt that if the argument over average class size were carried out using economic reasons alone, the District would have a very hard time justifying an average class size of 35.

The reason that class size has become an issue at DCCC is that United Faculty asked the Senate bodies to work out a common class size across the colleges. This will equalize working conditions issues on all three campuses.

It was announced that the new software system to create and maintain curriculum, Curricunet, is under development, and we’re sending information periodically so that we can have a test run near the end of the semester.

Also at DCCC the issue of cross-listing SCE classes with transfer classes was discussed. Dr. Hodge and Lis Leyson had problems with some of the SCE classes in the areas of Business/CIS and Construction Technology. The proposed SCE classes were duplicates of existing Fullerton College classes, and it was felt that the SCE programs were adversely affecting these divisions.

The issue of SCE courses overlapping Fullerton College courses will be addressed at the next Senate meeting. Some Senators will bring to that meeting a proposed resolution regarding overlapping courses to be approved by the full Senate.

Members of the Senate were concerned that SCE is offering courses with the same number and content as regular Fullerton College courses. Divisions have had students completing SCE courses and coming to Fullerton College seeking certificates.

A question was raised about the state definition of online and hybrid classes (this affects how these classes are funded). The definition from the state is that a class taught 51 percent or more online is a hybrid class. If it is taught 100 percent online, it is an online class. If it is taught less than 51 percent online, it is a “web enhanced” class. Course content should not be altered if the class is to be taught online.

VII. ELECTIONS

Election results were as follows:

Managers’ Comprehensive Evaluations

Ricardo Perez, Dean of Counseling

Sunshine Vidal

Robert Miranda, Director of Financial Aid

Sylvia Pimentel

Darlene Jensen, Director of Student Affairs

Bruce Hanson

Selection Committee for the Director of the new Foundation Office

Doug Eisner

Bill Hayner

President’s Advisory Cabinet

Diana Kyle

Confirmation of the Selection Committee for Dean of Technology/Engineering

Dennis Howey

Brian Kaneko

Pat McGrew

John Pummer

Confirmation of the Selection Committee for Dean of Business/CIS

Dale Craig

Edward McCloud

Sally Moore

Marcus Wilson

VIII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

None.

IX. OLD BUSINESS

The organization chart that was sent out by Dr. Hodge was shown. Dr. McGowan requested input relative to changes to the chart and received none.

X. NEW BUSINESS

The Staff Development Coordinator has taken an interim Dean position and cannot serve in his previous position during the fall semester.

M/S/U (Wilson/McQueen) that the recommendation of the Faculty Senate be to choose an existing faculty member of the Staff Development Committee to replace Mark Greenhalgh for one semester while he is serving as Interim Dean.

The following top ten items (in order) emerged from the faculty survey taken on Convocation Day:

· Ensure that bond monies are spent effectively

· Ensure that instruction and student support drive fiscal decisions

· Place a greater emphasis on academic technology support

· Ensure course prerequisites through Banner

· Ensure that a full-range of services is available for evening students

· Improve technological support in academic and student support programs

· Allocate staff development funds to divisions/departments to allow the faculty to determine how to spend the staff development funds

· Enforce placement testing

· Enforce the withdrawal deadline through Banner

· Ensure the integration of planning with budget

Senators asked about how the Senate will ensure that this list of faculty concerns is addressed. It was pointed out that there are committees on which Senate elected faculty serve that address many of these issues.

MSU (Collins/McQueen) The Senate Exec. will determine those committees that will report to the Senate and will contact members of these committees and request updated reports. The

Senate Exec. will determine which other items can be addressed by other action of the Senate.

Doug Eisner reported that he is feeling his way with Student Learning Outcomes and would appreciate the contribution of ideas from other people.

XI. LIAISON REPORTS

United Faculty

Dale Craig reported that the contract is still under negotiation with the District. The contract is not quite done with yet, but there is hope that it will be finished this semester. Salary negotiations will start immediately this year. From the preliminary budget information presented to the Negotiating Team and to DPC, there will be an additional $7 million next year. Our District will be getting more money this year than it has for a long time, and UF will be asking for a continuation of the comparability promise made by the District years ago.

A Senator expressed concerns about the negotiating team. He asked whether the current team is as effective as it can be. The UF representative answered that the current team has successfully gotten a raise for the faculty and that there is a new member on the team (Lisa Campbell) and that UF has a new president. Anyone with concerns about negotiations should contact the Chief Negotiator Barbara Marshall or United Faculty President Tony Jones. Another option is to run for the UF Board (there are always openings). The UF Board always welcomes participation by faculty and encourages faculty to become members.

Another question concerned the 16 week-calendar. This is an ongoing request from faculty, and the UF Board has not forgotten about this faculty concern.

Associated Students

A.S. President Alejandra Goodrich left the meeting early; therefore, the Associated Students had no report.

Adjunct Faculty United

No report.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:59 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/

Jane Troop, Secretary