Academic Senate

Grossmont College

Minutes of the Meeting – December 4, 2006

 

PRESENT: Beth Smith (President); Bonnie Schmiege (Vice President); (Senate Officer at Large); (Senate Officer at Large); (Administration of Justice); (ASL); Paul Turounet (Art); Gregg Robinson (Behavioral Sciences); Virginia Dudley, Michael Golden, Michelle Perchez (Biological Sciences); Judith Zander, Evan Enowitz (Business Administration); Linda Snider (Business Office Technology); Rick Kirby (Cardiovascular Technology); (Chemistry); Mary Courtney, Sheridan Dewolf (Child Development); Joel Castellaw, Sheri Guseman (Communication); Diane Mayne-Stafford (Computer Science); Mary Rider, Renee Tuller (Counseling); (Culinary Arts); Jane Nolan (Disabled Student Services); David Mullen (Dance); Chris Hill (Earth Sciences); Gary Phillips, Joan Ahrens, Julie Cardenas, Tony Ding, Micah Jendian (English); Pat Bennett, Barbara Loveless, Chuck Passentino (ESL); Sylvia Montejano (EOPS); Laura Burger, Steve Johns (Exercise Science and Wellness); Paul Vincent (Foreign Language); (History); Priscilla Rogers (International Business); Pat Morrison (Library); Peg Hovde, Shirley Pereira, Jenny Vanden Eynden (Math); (Media Communications); (Music); (Nursing); (Occupational Therapy); David Milroy (PartTime Representatives); Zoe Close (Philosophy, Humanities & Religious Studies); (Physics, Astronomy, & Physical Sciences); Brian Jennings, Jim Wood (Political Economy); Lorenda Seibold-Phalan (Respiratory Therapy); Craig Everett (Theatre Arts).

ABSENT: Victoria Howitt (Senate Officer at Large); Jennifer Carmean (Senate Officer at Large); P.J.Ortmeier, Tina Young (Administration of Justice); Jennifer Carmean (ASL); Jim Wilsterman, Suda House (Art); Israel Cardona, Teresa Jacob (Behavioral Sciences); (Biological Sciences); Nate Scharff (Business Administration); Mark Pressnall (Business Office Technology); Don Ridgway (Cardiovascular Technology); Jeff Lehman, Martin Larter (Chemistry); (Child Development); (Communication); Janet Gelb (Computer Science); Tom Gamboa (Cross Cultural Studies); Debbie Lim (Counseling); Joe Orate, James Foran (Culinary Arts); (Dance); Scott Barr (Disabled Student Services); Judd Curran (Earth Sciences); Tate Hurvitz (English); (ESL); (EOPS); Jim Symington, Larry Larsen (Exercise Science and Wellness); Ruth F. Konopka (Foreign Language); Sue Gonda, Marty Ennis, Devon Hansen (History); (International Business); (LRC); Jeff Waller ( (Math); Evan Wirig, William Snead (Media Communications); Steve Baker (Music); Tom Oertel (Nursing); Christine Vicino (Occupational Therapy); Raul Sandelin (PartTime Representatives); Bill Hoaglin (Philosophy, Humanities & Religious Studies); Ross Cohen (Physics, Astronomy, & Physical Sciences);(Political Economy); (Respiratory Therapy); Beth Mallette (Theatre Arts).

GUESTS: Della Elliot – District Staff, Public Information Assistant

Bob Hertel – District, Interim Assoc. Vice Chancellor/Academic Studies & Planning Services

Kendra Jeffcoat – Interim Assistant Dean, Student Affairs

Veronica Powell – SDSU Intern

Bonnie Price – Accreditation Co-Chair

Pamela Wright – District, Institutional Research Planner

RECORDER: Tasa Campos

I. CALL TO ORDER

A. Approval of Agenda

Beth informed the group the date of November 20 on today’s agenda was an error. Please insert today’s date of December 4.

A motion was made to approve the agenda with the above date change.

M/S/U Perierra/Kirby

Approval of Minutes from November 20, 2006

A motion was made to approve the November 20 meeting minutes.

M/S/U Schmiege/Kirby

Approval of Minutes from November 27, 2006 – Special Meeting

A motion was made to approve the November 27 meeting minutes.

M/S/U Morrison/Burger

II. PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Status of Tasks

Beth reviewed an overhead version of Academic Senate Fall 06 Agenda Items first reviewed at the September 18, 2006 meeting. Beth updated the group on the current status of the following listed twelve tasks:

Report from Program Review – Presentation completed.

Approval of District and College Mission Statements – The mission statements were reviewed and edited. The District Mission Statement was pulled off of the November Governing Board agenda but is scheduled to be on the December agenda.

Consider Allowing Faculty to use Plus/Minus Grading – Clifton Quinn presented the proposal to the Senate this fall. The proposal will be reviewed again in the spring.

Review of Supervised Tutoring, Including a Definition for the Pedagogical Perspective – Will be reviewed again in the spring.

Consider Resurrection of the GE Committee – Will be reviewed in the spring.

Approve New Forms for Determining Equivalencies for Part Time Faculty – Will be reviewed in the spring.

Consider Adoption of Institutional Values – Chuck Passentino has been presenting information on the Institutional Values during the fall and the item will be an Action Item at the first Academic Senate meeting in the spring.

Consider Revision to the Constitution of the Senate – Completed in the fall and all change approved by the Senate went forward during the fall election for faculty vote. If the proposed changes are approved by faculty vote, the Senate will be reviewing and changing the Senate Bylaws in the spring to reflect the constitution changes.

Consider Creation of a Task Force to Develop a Policy on Cell Phones and Cheating – Currently under discussion.

Consider Creation of a Task Force to Develop a Policy on Faculty Rights – See discussion information below.

Consider Resolutions as Created by Faculty about Pertinent Issues – Ongoing.

Election of New Senate President – The election is currently in progress for a new Academic Senate President. The new President will officially take office in June 2007.

The group discussed Task #10 – Consider Creation of a Task Force to Develop a Policy on Faculty Rights at great length. The following issues were discussed:

· Recording devices in classrooms.

· ESL courses.

· Faculty rights and student responsibilities when sending emails to instructors.

· Minors in classrooms.

· Cheating and use of cell phones.

Zoe Close suggested having an attorney give a presentation on faculty rights during Professional Development Week in the spring.

A motion was made to develop a task force between the Academic Senate and United Faculty to review faculty rights.

M/S/U Hill/Dewolf

The motion passed.

The committee would develop a basic list of questions regarding faculty rights and research policies and procedures being developed and implemented at other colleges. It was suggested the composition of the task force consist of representation from the following:

DSPS

ESL

Business and Professional Studies

Counseling

Student Affairs

Faculty member who instructs a lab class

Three faculty members at large

The Senate will be updated at the next meeting.

Other

A Senator asked Beth if she could give an update on the Grossmont College President Search Committee status. Beth reported the search committee had submitted the names of three candidates to the Chancellor. He stated to the current search committee that he had done his own back ground checks on the three candidates the committee had submitted and felt the results were unacceptable. The Chancellor informed the search committee that an outside hiring firm would be used in the next search. Two members from the current search committee will be participating in the selection of the firm. It has been one year since the release of Dr. Martinez and now the hiring process will occur for a third time. The group discussed the following:

Shared governance in the hiring process.

Chancellor staying uninvolved in Grossmont’s Presidential search until his own investigation is completed and settled.

The funds required to hire a consulting firm.

Go on record and ask the Governing Board for dismissal of the Chancellor.

Don Low, Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs, may no longer be with the college in the spring semester leaving that position vacant again.

Dean Colli agreed to remain as the Interim President until the end of the search.

The affects on the college by there being so many interim administrative positions on campus and the long term decisions being made by short term administrators.

How the upcoming Accreditation review will be affected by our current interim administrative status. The college was marked down in 1995 and 2001due to the situation and it is expected that it will be marked down again in the current review.

The group discussed the affects and consequences at great lengths.

A motion was made requesting the Academic Senate develop a resolution censoring the Chancellor for his current actions and decisions regarding the current presidential search.

M/S/P Dewolf/Montejano

There was one abstention, the motion passed.

The resolution would need to be brought back to the Senate at a special meeting for action prior to the next Board meeting on Tuesday, December 12, 2006. The group discussed next week being finals week. A vote with the Senate cannot be completed by telephone or email and a quorum would be needed in order to move forward with the vote. If a Senator is unable to attend a proxy may be sent but each person is only allowed one vote each. The group agreed to a special meeting at 11:10 a.m. on Monday, December 11.

The group continued to discuss the development of the resolution and what the primary focuses should be. The following focuses were discussed:

Reaffirming the affects on Accreditation.

Affect of ongoing interim administration.

Academic affects.

Presidential search process and candidates.

No shared governance at Chancellor level.

Sending the resolution stating concerns to the Accreditation Committee and the State Academic Senate.

Long term decision making by short term administrators.

Chancellor giving a statement as to why he did additional background checks after the search committee had already completed checks.

Request that information received by the Chancellor during his personal background checks be released to the search committee.

Beth stated SOC would develop the resolution and send out to the Senators by email. All changes and suggestion will need to be sent back by Tuesday night in order to get the resolution onto the agenda and have the agenda distributed prior to Monday’s meeting.

III. COMMITTEE REPORTS

Instructional Computing Committee

Diane Mayne-Stafford shared there will be a class on "Email Limits" during the spring Professional Development Week.

IV. ACTION ITEMS

None at today’s meeting.

V. INFORMATION ITEMS

Board Policy 5016 – Attachments #1 & #2

Due to lack of time this issue was not discussed.

Institutional Values – Attachment #3

Chuck Passentino again presented information on the Institutional Student Learning Outcomes. He requested the information be moved to action today.

A motion was made to suspend the rules and move the Information Item to an Action Item today.

M/S/F Courtney/Morrison

The motion failed.

The group continued to discuss the information. Chuck expressed concern regarding timelines. After the last presentation he received three suggestions. Please forward Chuck any additional changes or suggestions prior to the start of Professional Development Week in the spring.

This item will return as an Action Item at the January 29th Academic Senate meeting.

VI. OTHER

Meeting adjourned at 12:22p.m.

*The next meeting will be a Special Meeting on December 11, in Griffin Gate.

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