Academic Senate

Grossmont College

Special Meeting

Minutes of the Meeting – December 11, 2006

 

PRESENT: Beth Smith (President); (Vice President); (Senate Officer at Large); (Senate Officer at Large); (Administration of Justice); (ASL); Suda House, Paul Turounet (Art); Israel Cardona, Gregg Robinson (Behavioral Sciences); Virginia Dudley, Michelle Perchez (Biological Sciences); Judith Zander, Evan Enowitz (Business Administration); (Business Office Technology); Rick Kirby, Don Ridgway (Cardiovascular Technology); Jeff Lehman (Chemistry); Mary Courtney, Sheridan Dewolf (Child Development); Joel Castellaw, Sheri Guseman (Communication); Janet Gelb, Diane Mayne-Stafford (Computer Science); Mary Rider by proxy of Wendy Crusado, Debbie Lim, Renee Tuller (Counseling); (Culinary Arts); Jane Nolan, Scott Barr by proxy of Marlene Jansky (Disabled Student Services); David Mullen (Dance); Chris Hill (Earth Sciences); Tate Hurvitz (English); Pat Bennett, Barbara Loveless, Chuck Passentino (ESL); (EOPS); Jim Symington, Laura Burger, Steve Johns (Exercise Science and Wellness); Paul Vincent (Foreign Language); Devon Hansen (History); Priscilla Rogers (International Business); Pat Morrison (Library); Peg Hovde, Jenny Vanden Eynden, Jeff Waller (Math); (Media Communications); (Music); (Nursing); (Occupational Therapy); David Milroy, Raul Sandelin (PartTime Representatives); Zoe Close, Bill Hoaglin (Philosophy, Humanities & Religious Studies); (Physics, Astronomy, & Physical Sciences); Brian Jennings (Political Economy); (Respiratory Therapy); Craig Everett (Theatre Arts).

ABSENT: Bonnie Schmiege (Vice President); 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, (Art); Teresa Jacob, (Behavioral Sciences); Michael Golden (Biological Sciences); Nate Scharff (Business Administration); Linda Snider, Mark Pressnall (Business Office Technology); (Cardiovascular Technology); Martin Larter (Chemistry); (Child Development); (Communication); (Computer Science); Tom Gamboa (Cross Cultural Studies); (Counseling);Joe Orate, James Foran (Culinary Arts); (Dance); (Disabled Student Services); Judd Curran (Earth Sciences); Gary Phillips, Joan Ahrens, Julie Cardenas, Tony Ding , Micah Jendian (English); (ESL); Sylvia Montejano (EOPS); Larry Larsen (Exercise Science and Wellness); Ruth F. Konopka (Foreign Language); Sue Gonda, Marty Ennis (History); (International Business); (LRC); Shirley Pereira (Math); Evan Wirig, William Snead (Media Communications); Steve Baker (Music); Tom Oertel (Nursing); Christine Vicino (Occupational Therapy); (PartTime Representatives); (Philosophy, Humanities & Religious Studies); Ross Cohen (Physics, Astronomy, & Physical Sciences); Jim Wood (Political Economy); Lorenda Seibold-Phalan (Respiratory Therapy); Beth Mallette (Theatre Arts).

GUESTS: John Al-Amin – Grossmont, Vice President Administrative Services

Dean Colli – Grossmont, Interim President

John Colson – Grossmont, Interim Vice President Student Services

Della Elliot – District Staff, Public Information Assistant

Ernie Ewin – Grossmont, Executive Director Foundation

Jim Fenningham – Grossmont, Dean Counseling/Student Dev. & Matriculation

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

Pamela Wright – District, Institutional Research Planner

 

RECORDER: Tasa Campos

I. CALL TO ORDER

A. Approval of Agenda

Beth briefly reviewed the agenda and shared there was only one agenda item. She stated the agenda and the resolution had been sent out by email and hard copy. Quorum would be needed at today’s special meeting in order to vote on the agenda item. The meeting is scheduled to start officially at 11:10 a.m. and end at 11:20 p.m. due to it being finals week.

A motion was made to approve the agenda.

M/S/U Waller/Robinson

 

IV. ACTION ITEMS

Resolution – Concern Regarding Grossmont College’s Lack of Stable Leadership and the Presidential Search Process

Beth informed the group Dean Colli, Interim President of Grossmont College had requested a bit of time to address the Senate regarding the resolution and the presidential search committee process. Dean Colli thanked the Senate for the time for him to speak on the resolution. He stated there would be a campus email sent out later today that will amplify some of the information he will be sharing today. Dean stated the following:

Any Academic Senate resolution is taken seriously and he wanted to make sure that as the Senate considers the resolution the information he has to share will become part of that consideration and be taken seriously.

He learned of the resolution last Monday and received a copy of the resolution on Wednesday. After reviewing it he became concerned and felt there may be some misconceptions and assumption regarding the presidential hiring process.

He shared the Chancellors steps during the last part of the process prior to sending out information stating the District will be going out for a third time to search for possible presidential candidates and a consulting firm would be hired to assist.

The consulting firms work would be totally independent of the Governing Board and the Chancellor until the final decisions. The Chancellor did state he would have the campus community be involved and has offered to have one or two committee members from the current search committee be included in any site visits that may be done to any current or previous work location of the candidates with the consulting firm.

Due to finals and the allowed length of meeting time, Beth thanked Dean and requested he summarize in order for the Senators to be able to vote and get to there finals on time.

Dean asked that everyone to read the email that would be sent out.

A faculty member asked Dean that since he was requesting the Senate take the resolution seriously if the Governing Board took the Senate resolutions seriously. Dean stated he could not speak for the Governing Board. The faculty member questioned the Chancellor’s decision to throw out all the candidates after the search committee had done the work and made their recommendations. Dean stated he had shared with the search committee that once the candidate’s names were submitted the search committee no longer had any involvement in the decision making. Dean also shared he personally had be recommending a hiring consulting firm be hired to assist with the presidential search since the first search process failed.

Another faculty member asked Dean what communication did the Chancellor have with the search committee after the final decision was made to not choose any of the three recommended candidates, to go out for search again, and that a hiring consulting firm would be used during this third attempt. Dean again stated that once the recommended candidates were submitted the committee no longer had any involvement. The Chancellor never spoke with the search committee to learn of their opinions on whether they wanted to go out to search again or on hiring the consulting firm.

Beth shared the one typo in the resolution has been corrected and requested a motion to approve the resolution.

A motion was made to approve the resolution.

M/S/ Dudley/Robinson

The group discussed the possibility of the Chancellor giving reasons as to why he did additional background checks and to share the reasons with the search committee as to why he felt the candidates were unacceptable choices and how the Chancellor conducted his own reference checks. The committee had done reference checks on the candidates.

Ernie Ewin shared he had been a member on the search committee and that it was not fair to say that the committee did not understand the process. As a committee member he always knew where he was and what he was doing during the process.

At 11:25 the call of question was made. Beth requested all those in favor of the resolution to please say aye. There were 0 nays and 7 abstentions. The motion to approve the Resolution of Concern Regarding Grossmont College’s Lack of Stable Leadership and the Presidential Search Process passed.

Beth thanked everyone for there time and to have a great break.

Meeting adjourned at 11:27 a.m.

*The next meeting will be on January 29th, 2007, in Griffin Gate.

BS:tmc