Mission College Academic Senate

Ext. 5413

Approved Minutes

Thursday, September 22, 2005

I. Call to Order/Roll Call

The meeting was called to order by President Alex Braun at 2:10 p.m.

Senators	A	P	Senators	A	P
Beggs (Ext. 5188) AAS		X	Lavallo (Ext. 5399) Math		X
Braun (Ext. 5355) Pres/Tech		X	Moles (Ext. 5113) ESL		X
Brichko (Ext. 5222) CATA		X	Ostrander (Ext. 5274) Stud Dev.		X
Cogswell (Ext. 5388) AAS		X	Perlas (Ext. 5041) Stud.Dev.		X
Cox (Ext.5164) CommSvc		X	Rounds (Ext. 5288) Comm		X
Juncker (Ext.5229) Comm		X	Smebye (Ext. 5305) CommServ		X
Kashima (Ext. 5319) ESL		X	Szabados (Ext.5289) CATA	X
Laird (Ext. 5186) SocSci		X	Ting (Ext. 5330) Math

Division Chairs	A	P	Division Chairs	A	P
Burrell (Natural Science)		X	Lam (Math)		X
Chandler (Social Science)		X	McAlister (LATC)		X
Cowels (AAS)	X		Lowenberg (ESL)		X
Delongchamps (CATA)		X	McKay (Communications)		X
DelFrate (Commercial Services)		X	Robles (VP of Instruction)		X

Guests	A	P	Guests	A	P
Guests. C.Beck, T.		X	Guests: J.VanTassel		X

II. Approval of the Minutes

The minutes for the minutes of September 8, 2005, were accepted and approved (M/S/U – Kashima/Moles) with the following corrections:

Page 1, Item I. (Roll Call) – Senator Rounds was present at the meeting.

Page 3, Item VIII.B (Consider Endorsement of Work-to-Contract Request from ACE - The second motion on the page (M/S/U – Ostrander/Cox) is corrected as follows:

“that the Mission College Academic Senate support ACE’s request that all West Valley Mission College academic departments and divisions withhold plans to implement a 2006 Winter Session pending a negotiation settlement.”

III. Order of the Agenda

It was agreed (M/S/U – Cox/Brichko) that ItemVII.A and VII.B will be moved to immediately follow Item VI.C. All other agenda items will be addressed if time allows.

IV. Oral Communication from the Public

There was no oral communication from the public at today's meeting.

V. Information & Announcements

1. It was suggested that the faculty pay close attention to the ACE Newsletter, which contains a letter from ACE’s attorney, Robert Bezemek, regarding the issue of academic freedom.

2. The members of the Communications Division request that the Academic Senate consider the development of a policy that deals with plagiarism. It was agreed this item will be placed on a future agenda.

3. President Braun advised that a second call for faculty to serve on the Accreditation Standards Committees and the Information Competency Committee will be issued from the Senate office as no names have been submitted.

4. The Fall Plenary Session for the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges will be held November 3-5, 2005, in Pasadena. Alex advised that there are ample funds to send Senators to the session. Anyone interested in attending should contact the MC Academic Senate Office.

5. Senator Perlas distributed a chart listing the High-Tech Regions ranked by Performance on critical issues. She noted that Silicon Valley was ranked the lowest.

6. Senator Perlas inquired about the make-up of the Hiring Committee for the Dean of Student Support Services.

7. The California Community Colleges System Office (CCSO) is seeking faculty to serve on ten consortia groups whose purpose is to advise the State Chancellor on those topics and issues affecting occupational education, economic development, program development, course approvals, and grant approvals, to name just a few areas. These consortia are also used to disseminate critical information, such as details about grants like the VTEA grants for vocational programs. Each consortium is required to have a faculty representative, who is appointed by the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges (ASCCC). The term length for these seats is one year, and the time commitment is approximately one meeting per month, which is usually conducted by remote technology (CCC Confer). The following link describes the functions of the consortia, as well as defining their regions and

many other details:

(http://www.cccco.edu/divisions/esed/voced/grants/vtea%5Fic/03%2D04/app%5Fdocs/consortia.htm>http://www.cccco.edu/divisions/esed/voced/grants/vtea%5Fic/03%2D04/app%5Fdocs/consortia.htm.)

Anyone interested should submit their name to the MC Academic Senate Office by Noon, Thursday, September 29, 2005. Names must be submitted to the ASCCC By Friday, September 30, 2005.

8. Senator Cox advised to watch for an e-mail from the Library on Banned Books Week.

9. A request that the issues of the ACE election that is currently underway and the Winter Session be placed on a future agenda for Senate discussion.

VI. Administrative Business/Actions/Appointments

C. Committee Appointments

1. Appoint Associate Faculty Representatives - Alex advised that two associate faculty members have submitted their names to serve as representatives of the Associate Faculty. In the past, the Senate has appointed members to the Senate when the number of candidates equals the number of seats. The two associate faculty members are Phil Mancini (Hospitality Management) and Will Paicius (Art/Digital Media). He asked for direction. The Senators unanimously agreed to appoint Phil and Will to the Senate as Associate Faculty Representatives (M/S/U – Cogswell/Cox).

As agreed, the order of agenda was moved directly to Item VII.A and B. A request was made at this time that Item B be addressed first as several members of the DCC had another meeting to attend. The Senators unanimously agreed to move to Item B (M/S/U – Perlas/Kashima).

VII. New Business

B. Consider request by District Administration to defer hiring of faculty positions that have been vacated due to retirement.

Harriett Robles explained that, in accordance with AB 1725, vacant positions that occur 45 days prior to the end of the semester through retirement or resignation should be replaced the following Spring semester. The Academic Senate must determine if the hiring of any of those positions should be deferred to the following Fall for a variety of reasons. This year, the college has four resignations and one retirement that falls into that category. There are three positions that are scheduled for automatic replacement under the existing policy. They are:

1. Transfer

2. Assessment Coordinator

3. Health Occupations

One late resignation was received from the LATC program and one late retirement was submitted from the Real Estate program.

Harriett explained further that the Academic Senate has to determine whether any or all of these positions shall be deferred to Fall 2006, or that the positions be replaced in mid-year. She advised that the District is concerned that the 2006/07 budget may be impacted in light of the severe decline in enrollment and increases in compensation, and, therefore, has advised each college to fill only one position The District does not want to spend any money that does not have to be spent. Harriett suggested that the Academic Senate make its decision factoring in the District’s position.

The Division Chair Council (DCC) recommends that the positions be prioritized as follows:

• The position of Assessment Coordinator be deferred to Fall 2006. This will provide

ample time to discuss the role of the position.

• The remaining positions should be prioritized as follows:

#1. Health Occupations

#2. Real Estate

#3. LATC

#4 Transfer

Dianne McKay stated that the DCC agreed to recommend that the Assessment Coordinator position be set aside, and that the remaining four positions be filled for important reasons that relate to the function of the college:

• Health Occupations desperately needs additional full-time faculty. There is a growing need for Nurses, and many nursing students are looking to fill classes at the community college level.

• With the retirement of Dick Przybylski, the Real Estate program will not have a full-time faculty person, and traditionally it has been understood that each program should have at least one full-time faculty person. The Real Estate program is extremely viable and generates a huge amount of WSCH.

• The vacant LATC position does most of the teaching in the program and the students that utilize the LATC program are the most vulnerable. Many extra hours have been required of the faculty in order to meet the needs of the students.

• The Transfer position is required by Title 5. Currently two counselors have agreed to, and are currently using a portion of their load, to cover the responsibility of this position for one semester. This position is especially important because of the decrease in enrollment. A transfer package will make the school considerably more marketable.

• The positions were ranked only in the event that the Academic Senate agreed to defer the hiring of all the positions except for one and ranked the Health Occupations position as #1.

The Senators were reminded that the Board of Trustees has agreed to rely primarily on the advice of the Academic Senate. The DCC has provided the rationale for filling these positions, hence the Academic Senate should accept the recommendation of the DCC as outlined by Dianne McKay. It is the role of the Academic Senate to oversee, maintain and improve the academic programs of the college and to ensure that the best faculty members are hired. The administration is attempting to increase the number of budgeted but unfilled positions. The position and focus of the Academic Senate should be one that makes the most sense from a curricular and program point of view. If the Senate advises that the four positions be filled, any discussion to the contrary will necessarily take place between the Academic Senate and the Board of Trustees, which is obligated to provide compelling reasons in writing if it takes a different action other than the recommendation of the Academic Senate.

As discussion continued, it was pointed out that last year the Academic Senate agreed to consider the needs of the college and its students as a whole. The Senate needs to ensure that programs will be viable five to ten years from now. Many spoke to the point that these positions are already funded in the budget and do not add any additional cost to the budget. Concerns were voiced that if the positions remain unfilled, the funds will be lost. On-going costs cannot be funded with a one time salary savings. In addition, by not filling these positions until Spring, we are saving 50% of the cost for these positions. These are critical positions, and if we need students, we must provide what they need or we will lose students. The Senate must protect academic programs and consider the students’ needs.

Harriett was asked where the recommendation to only fill one position came from. It was stated that the recommendation came from the Vice Chancellor via the EMT.

The following motion was made (M/S/ – Smebye/Kashima):

“that the Mission College Academic Senate accept the recommendation of the Division Chair Council and send it forward.”

Discussion on the motion continued. Harriett asked for clarification of the motion. She stated that if the Academic Senate accepts the recommendation of the DCC, she assumes that the Senate accepts the DCC’s ranking of the positions as well, and she will begin the hiring process for the Health Occupations position immediately. Alex stated that these positions are all funded in the budget for 2005/06, which is a balanced budget based on projected expenditures, revenue, and the carryover from the previous year. The concern is related to the 2006/07 budget; the Vice Chancellor is concerned that there might be a problem at that time. The question is whether or not to fill the positions now. Another concern dealt with how the ranked list of new requests for faculty will be affected if these positions are replaced as mid-year hires. Harriett stated that positions considered as mid-year replacements could be dropped out of the prioritization list.

A call for the previous question (M/S – Cox/Mancini) passed with one no vote, and the above motion passed with one no vote.

Harriett stated that there is not enough time to do the mid-year hire for all positions, practically speaking. That is why the DCC brought forth a ranked list. It is her understanding that the DCC’s recommendation is a ranked list. The Health Occupations position will not be filled if the process doesn’t begin immediately. The hiring process should have been started two to three weeks ago. Ultimately, the decision rests with the Academic Senate and the Board of Trustees, and because the agenda for the October 6^th meeting is set, the issue cannot be addressed with the Board until October 20^th.

In response, it was stated that the hiring process should begin immediately for all four positions. The Academic Senate reserves the right to defer. The consensus was that the positions should move forward without ranking in keeping with the existing practice. Since the Board agenda is set at the District Council, and Alex, as a member of the District Council, can request that the item be placed on the agenda for October 6^th, he was directed to do so. Harriett stated it is unlikely that job announcements will be issued without direction from the Board.

As discussion continued, concern was expressed that the issue in contention here is much larger than the hiring question. This District is supposed to function under shared governance processes and what is being stated here is that the Academic Senate has no control and that the decision has already been made at the top level. This is distressing and bothersome.

Alex stated that there are funds in the budget for these positions. The administration does not want to spend money. The Academic Senate believes that the positions should be filled for academic and programmatic reasons. The question is who will prevail? The final statement made is that the Academic Senate has the prerogative and authority on this matter. The positions must be filled unless the Academic Senate grants the permission to the Board of Trustees.

A. Joint Meeting of Division Chair Council with the MC Academic Senate to Consider Prioritization of New Full-Time Faculty Hiring Requests

Alex turned this portion of the meeting over to Dianne McKay to facilitate. Dianne provided the Senators with some background information and ground rules for today’s meeting. The Division Chair or a designee will support the request for the position, and each Senator will then meet with his/her Division Chair to review and prioritize the list. The ranking sheets will be submitted to the Office of Instruction by September 30^th, and the ranked list will be brought back to the Academic Senate for discussion on October 6^th, and for final approval by the DCC and the Academic Senate on October 13^th.

The following is the list of applications submitted:

#1 Biological Sciences

#2 English

#3 ESL

#4 LATC (Eligible for Mid-Year Hire)

#5 Library Services

#6 Political Science

#7 Real Estate (Eligible for Mid-Year Hire)

Automatic Replacements

#1 Transfer

#2 Assessment Coordinator

#3 Health Occupations

The Division Chairs or designee made their presentations for each of the above positions. After hearing the statements in support of filling the positions, Dianne asked if there was any position that the body did not wish to include in the ranking process, and no position was indicated.

Dianne stated that the number of positions that can be filled is unknown at this time. It was clarified that if all seven positions are ranked, and if the positions eligible for mid-year hires are filled, the mid-year hires will come off the list. If only five faculty can be hired, it is possible then that all positions will be filled. Dianne explained further that the LATC and Real Estate positions fall into a gray area and should be prioritized on the list in the event that the Board of Trustees comes up with compelling reasons for not filling the positions. She also advised everyone to keep in mind that sometimes when a search fails for a higher ranked position, it can result in hiring a position further down the list in order to meet our hiring obligations (FON).

The following motion was passed unanimously (M/S/U – Cox/Perlas):

“that the Mission College Academic Senate direct the college to move ahead immediately to begin the hiring process to fill the Health Occupations, Real Estate, Transfer, and LATC positions as mid-year hires.”

The ranking process was discussed further and it was stated that the Senate must make the assumption that all the positions are necessary. Since all the programs in question are viable, the following motion was passed unanimously (M/S/U – Cox/Cogswell):

“that the Mission College Academic Senate agree to rank all the positions.”

Dianne summarized the process to follow. The Senators will meet with their respective Division Chair and will rank all seven positions. The ranked list should be submitted to the Office of Instruction by September 30^th, and the Office of Instruction will tally the results, distribute the results to the Division Chairs and Senators on Monday, October 3^rd, and the results will be discussed at a joint meeting of the DCC and the MC Academic Senate on October 6, 2005.

IX. Correspondence, Publications, and Announcements

Correspondence

Publications/Minutes

1. The agenda for the September 21, 2005, meeting of DBAC.

2. The approved minutes for the September 1, 2005, meeting of the ACE Council, and the agenda for the September 15, 2005, meeting.

3. The agenda for the September 14, 2005, meeting of GAP and the approved summary notes for the meeting of August 17, 2005.

4. The agenda for the September 15, 2005, meeting of the Mission-West Valley Land Corp.

Announcements/Conferences

1. The Fall 2005 Plenary Session of the Academic Senate for CCCs is to be held in Pasadena, California, November 3-5, 2005.

X. Future Agenda Items

1. Develop Plagiarism Policy (Juncker)

2. Discuss Issues of Concern Relative to ACE Vote and Winter Session (Smebye)

XI. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 4:05 p.m. (M/S/U-Cogswell/Ostrander). These minutes are respectfully submitted by Grace Hazán, Academic Senate Secretary.