I. Call to Order/Roll Call

The meeting was called to order by President Don Cordero at 1:45 p.m. Senators present: Margaret Boone (AAS), Lois Carroll (Instructional Support Serv), Betty Christopher (Commercial Services), Don Cordero (Pres/Counseling), Mike McKenna (AAS), Peggy Messerschmidt (Communications), Diane Pette (Student Services), Clint Poe (Natural Science), Joan Powers (ESL), Karl Ting (Math) and Jim Van Tassel (PE/Bus/Eng). Also present: Diane Lamkin (CRC Chair). Guests Present: Husam Asfoor (ASB Dir. of Finance), Cheryl Carter (Pres. of AGS), Ruth Madalena, Chris Olson, Karen Thaxton, Carol Toppel

II. Approval of the Minutes

The minutes for the meeting of September 19, 1996, were accepted and approved as submitted (M/S/U - Pette/Powers).

III. Order of the Agenda

Today's order of the agenda was changed as follows to accommodate guests who have come to address certain issues on the agenda (M/S/U - Powers/Pette).

Items VII.A and VII.B will be discussed after Item VIII.D. Item VIII.C will be part of the Matriculation Report (Item VI.B). Postpone Item V.

IV. Oral Communication from the Public - There was no oral communication from the Public.

V. Information & Announcements - Postponed

VI. Administrative Business/Actions/Appointments

A. Curriculum Committee Report - * Diane Lamkin, Chair of the Curriculum Committee asked the Senate to consider the development of a process by which we can ensure that departments comply with the state mandated content review. Ruth noted that four departments have completed their review and several other departments are in the process of completing their review. Although the college is still on target respective to the time-line, the senate needs to find some way to enforce compliance within the given time frame. Ruth confirmed that the college is on target and has had content review approved for all courses that came through this year and last year. However, we are somewhat behind on the department basis, and we need to catch up.

* The college is moving ahead with a new program in Semi-Conductor Manufacturing Technology (SMT). This will involve a combination of the Electronics and Drafting Departments, and the committee will look for the Senate's direction on how to establish a new department. Ruth reported that she expects ten (10) paid student internships in the SMT program by next summer, several which will come to Mission College.

* The WVC Curriculum Committee's agenda indicates that a number of 1/2 unit Computer Applications Courses will be offered between the Fall and Summer semesters. The problem is that many of the instructors who teach those courses are over load, and there is a need to make the interim period separate from the instructor's regular load. The committee is contemplating the adoption of these course outlines for Mission College. She asked the Senate for direction on this matter as well.

Don agreed to put these items on the agenda for Senate resolution, and commended Ruth for her efforts in networking with industry. There are some new programs on the horizon that the Senate needs to be apprised of, and Ruth will report to the Senate in the very near future. He thanked Diane for her hard work on the Curriculum Committee.

At this time Don advised the Senate that Judy Hooper was the Senate's appointee to the Hiring Committee for the Dean of Vocational Education, specifically as a counseling faculty member. Judy resigned from the committee for personal reasons and Don, by presidential fiat, empowered Lin Marelick to recruit Chris Jimenez to serve as Judy's substitute. Chris has indicated his willingness to serve, and Don asked the Senate to vote on this matter. A motion to approve Chris Jimenez as a substitute for Judy Hooper on the Hiring Committee for the Dean of Vocational Education was passed unanimously (M/S/U - Pette/Powers).

B. Matriculation - See discussion under Item VI.A

C. Committee Appointments

1. Confirm Appointments to Instructional Program Review Committee - The Senators unanimously confirmed the appointment of Jennifer Costanza, Ed Kleppinger, Kay Ringel, Ann Roberts, Phil Sienna, and Linda Skaife to this committee (M/S/U - Christopher/Poe). At this time Lois Carroll noted that there is no structure for Non-Instructional Program Review. Don noted that there was a Non-Instructional Program Review Committee which has become inactive since its chair, Gene Sterling, retired. Don agreed that the matter merits investigation, and he will report back to the Senate on this issue.

D. Staff Recognition - The following resolution was brought to the Senate by Lois Carroll and unanimously approved by the Senators (M/S/U - Carroll/Pette):

"Whereas, Dee Gonzales has provided excellent service in locating and obtaining media materials for faculty; and

Whereas, Dee Gonzales has brought creativity, persistence, and extensive knowledge to her job; and

Whereas, She has always brought a sense of good humor, respect and courteousness to all those she encounters both within and outside the college; and

Whereas, Her intellectual curiosity, willingness to embrace new ideas and new challenges and to help other staff in the LRS is appreciated; and

Whereas, She has represented Mission College on numerous hiring committees, and college and district committees over a twelve year period; and

Whereas, She represents a positive image of customer service and positive enthusiasm for Mission College and consistently goes beyond her job responsibilities;

Therefore, Be It Resolved, That the Mission College Academic Senate recognizes and appreciates the dedicated service Dee Gonzales has given to the faculty of Mission College.

A certificate and letter will be presented to Dee by Lois Carroll.

VIII. New Business

A. Discuss & Consider Availability of Core Curriculum Courses in Two Year Period

Cheryl Carter, currently serving as President of Alpha Gamma Sigma and a Senate member of the MCASB, is in her second semester at Mission College. It is her hope to transfer to Stanford University at the end of this academic year. Cheryl advised the Senate that she has had a number of complaints from students regarding their inability to obtain core curriculum courses in a two year time frame. A large number of core classes are clumped on certain days and at certain time periods, such as Tuesday, Thursday from 10:30 - 1:30 p.m. This makes it very difficult for students to fill their program needs, and many students are moving on to other community colleges, such as West Valley, DeAnza, Foothill, and Evergreen. Many of these students have GPA's that range from 3.0-4.0. She stated further that if Mission College intends to attract full-time day students, there is a need to increase the number of General Education core classes for students. She would like to complete her core curriculum here at Mission College, and, in order to fill the requirements, she has had to take classes she would not have taken otherwise.

Cheryl offered to assist the Senate by gathering information, conducting research, and collecting testimonials from other students, etc. She also offered to compile a list of the specific classes that present problems. Don advised Cheryl that the Senate's Balance of Curriculum Committee (BCC) is dealing with this very issue. He noted that, although there may not be an overlap within departments, there is no collaborative effort between departments to prevent overlap. This collaboration effort is one of the tasks set forth by the BCC. Don invited Cheryl to attend the next BCC meeting to be held Friday, October 4, 1996, from 10:00 am - 1:00 p.m., in Room E1-603.

B. Report on Restructure of Contract Education

Karen Thaxton, Director of the Economic Development Institute, advised that the restructuring of Contract Education (CE) is in progress. Elaine Gaertner, a consultant from ED>Net whose time has been donated, is working with the group in a very thorough manner. Karen noted that Elaine has accomplished the restructuring of CE Departments for other community colleges throughout the state.

An organizational assessment is being conducted, which includes an assessment of all the different areas of CE, and improvement opportunities for CE will be identified. The intent is to develop two to three year business goals; to identify and address work environment factors that will impact achievement, such as Human Resources, fiscal concerns, availability of curriculum and instructors, etc.; to identify and address some of the skill development factors particularly within the CE staff, which is currently in flux. The process will also include the development of an action plan and annual priorities, so that CE will be accountable as are other segments of the institutions, and the development of an internal communication plan, which will include Mission College, the district, and CE itself. The deliverables include achievable business goals given the environment will be developed for within the district and Santa Clara County; a written communication plan; a staff and organization design for CE; and a revenue distribution plan. It is anticipated that the entire process will be completed by the end of the year.

The benefit of this process is that the consultant is thorough and objective. Elaine is working on team building and she intends to involve all stake holders through their representatives. Karen and Elaine will be meeting with the Division Chairs on October 17. This is an opportunity to address all the factors, working within the district and outside the district, meeting the needs of all involved. Karen will keep the Senate updated on the progress of this on-going restructure.

A copy of the Senate's Position Paper on Contract Ed was sent to Karen. She was asked if the Senate's Contract Ed Committee was involved in the review and restructure of Contract Ed. Karen was not aware of the committee, and a list of those appointed to the committee will also be sent to Karen. She agreed to review the position paper and involve the committee.

C. Intervention & Retention/Flex Day

Carol Toppel, chair of the Intervention/Retention Subcommittee of the Matriculation Advisory Committee reported that the subcommittee, formed nine years ago, has worked on a number of projects over the years. They include the Faculty Retention Handbook, faculty retention strategy luncheons, support letters to students, formation of an Honor's Society, and others. The committee members who serve on this component of Matriculation with Carol are Carol Beck, Evelyn Riegert, Diane Pette, Chris Olson, Rebecca Sanchez, Rosalyn Chan, Ruth Madalena, JoAnn Greene, DeeDee Bicocca, and Jane Patton. Carol addressed the Senate on the committee's concerns regarding retention.

Carol reported that in Spring 1996, 967 students, or 11% of our students were either on academic or progress probation or dismissal status. This is a significant problem that we must address, and the committee has defined the "at-risk" population as students attending college for the first time and who have a GPA of 2.0 - 2.5. She advised that seven Title 3 grants have been awarded in the areas of collaborative learning and retention to faculty this semester. Those involved with the Title 3 grants will continue to support retention projects next semester. Dr. Rao has made retention a personal priority. On behalf of the committee, Carol asked that the Senators share the statistical information provided by Chris Olson with their constituents and encourage them to commit to, and participate in, retention strategies.

The information provided by Chris indicated that the "at-risk" population persists from semester to semester at significantly lower rates than new, first time students with higher GPA's. His report indicated that the "at-risk" students who received various intervention strategies had significantly improved persistence rates. Intervention activities and strategies included a personalized letter to those students identifying available services, a letter to faculty members advising them that "at-risk" students were in their class, retention workshops were held for faculty of "at-risk" students, and follow-up letters were mailed to students congratulating those with improved GPA's and offering counseling assistance to others. Chris noted that the most effective intervention is in the classroom. Ruth Madalena reported that studies have shown that students like the collaborative learning style and seem to prefer it in the classroom. Joan Powers pointed out that we must consider interventions in terms of our student population; the Asian students often do not prefer collaborative learning.

Carol asked that the Academic Senate support a proposal to set aside 3-4 hours of the spring Flex Day, April 18, 1997, for faculty and staff to focus on retention as a priority. In addition, the committee would like to request that a fall flex day on this subject be set aside as a mandatory function, with Noel/Levitz conducting an all day workshop on this subject for everyone.

D. Consider Central Services Position Restructuring

Don referred the Senators to Item 2.13 of the Board Agenda Packet (Page 2-38), items i, j, and k. The Chancellor has requested a change in three positions:

The Vice Chancellor, Business will be changed to Vice Chancellor, Administration.

The Executive Asst. to the Chancellor shall be changed to Executive Asst. to the Board

The Special Asst. to the Chancellor shall be changed to Asst. to the Chancellor.

The first two positions involve changes in responsibilities, but no change in salary range. The Vice-Chancellor, Administration's new job description broadens the scope of responsibility previously covered by the Vice-Chancellor, Business Services. The third position involves a number of changes in responsibilities, as well as a change in salary. This position was originally intended for a faculty person on reassigned time to serve as a liaison between faculty and the Chancellor at a cost of approximately $24,000. The new job description indicates that the original intent of the position no longer exists; this person will assist the Chancellor in her outreach efforts. The salary range is $48,651 to $62,093.

Don reported that this issue was discussed at yesterday's ChAdCo meeting and noted that the West Valley College Academic Senate passed a motion on October 1, requesting that the Board defer action on these items until the college community can obtain more information.

Discussion ensued regarding the lack of process used by the Chancellor in presenting these new job descriptions and the resolution passed by the Mission College Academic Senate last May regarding a commitment to work collaboratively with the Chancellor on issues such as these. Don asked for direction on this issue and polled each Senator. The Senators expressed strong consternation that the shared governance process has not been followed at all and faculty have not been provided the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process or to work collaboratively with the Chancellor. Even Senators who generally support administration indicated their disapproval. Although the Senators agreed that they have no wish to micromanage the administration, many expressed their disappointment and chagrin at the Chancellor's request for more administrators, the loss of a faculty liaison, the increase in administration and the additional costs, both obvious and hidden. The Senators opined that all the implications and ramifications of these changes have not been considered in the proposal. The cost of additional staff to cover certain responsibilities and support staff for these people has not been considered. The Senators declared that we are here to serve the students. We need support for our students and faculty, not additional administration. The justification for these changes is not clear.

The Senators recalled that the Mission College Academic Senate made the facultys' position clear last February when the Board and Chancellor reinstituted the position of Vice-Chancellor in closed session without consulting faculty. At that time the Chancellor acknowledged the lack of process and promised that it would be addressed in the Chancellor's Advisory Committee. It is true that a CEO can reorganize, create, and hire positions. However, Central Services takes its portion of the allotted state funding off the top, and the budget allocation model is then applied to the remaining funds for the two colleges. Therefore, discretionary funds used at the district level do not come to the colleges. It is imperative that the faculty be involved. Indeed, it is one of the Senate's responsibilities as outlined in AB 1725 to participate in the budget planning for the district. When the issue of shared governance and the Board's responsibility to the process was raised by the Senators, Don explained that the District's Shared Governance Policy states that the Board will rely primarily on the advice of the Academic Senate, and if it opts to take a different position, they must explain their reasons in writing.

Ultimately, the Senators directed Don to express their views regarding this item at the Board meeting and to support the action of the West Valley College Academic Senate.

The Senators returned to the Order of Agenda.

VII. Old Business

A. Prioritize and Adopt Senate Goals for 1996/97

This item was postponed to the next Senate meeting.

B. Consider ASB's Request for Two Seats on Academic Senate

Husam Asfoor, the ASB Director of Finance, submitted a formal request that the Academic Senate consider an additional student seat on the Senate with an advisory vote. At this time, the Senate's constitution calls for one student on the Senate, serving as a liaison with an advisory vote. Husam offered four primary reasons for this request:

1. Students will have a greater opportunity to be involved in the preparation of curriculum;

2. Students will provide the Senate with an opportunity to know more about students' needs;

3. A second seat will provide an opportunity to obtain views from students with different majors;

4. A second seat will provide an opportunity for students to be more vocal.

The discussion focused on the value in hearing from students with different majors, preferably one from Vocational Education and one from Letters and Science. The following motion was passed (M/S/P - Van Tassel/Powers):

"The Mission College Academic Senate agrees to increase the number of student representatives to the Senate by one with an advisory vote."

An amendment to the motion to include a statement regarding the preferred majors of the student representatives was not accepted by the maker of the motion. Don agreed to place this item on the next week's agenda for further discussion.

The remaining agenda items were postponed to next week, except for Items X and XI.

X. Future Agenda Items

1. Discuss Major Changes to the Fall Schedule of Classes (Cordero) (A) October 10, 1996

2. Select Date for Spring 1997 Graduation (Cordero) (I/A) October 10, 1996.

XI. Correspondence, Publications, & Announcements

Correspondence

1. An E-Mail message to all faculty from Lee Callaway, Dean of Instruction regarding a request for full-time teaching positions for Fall, 1997.

2. An E-Mail message from Bev Ledwith re: Computer Demographics & Survey. For information, call Bev at 741-2474.

3. Letter dated September 26, 1996, from the state Chancellor's Office re: Licenses & Certificates.

4. An E-Mail message from Janis Buchanan with an update on the burrowing owls.

Publications/Minutes

1. The Fall edition of ED>Net's UPDATE.

2. The Agenda for the October 3, 1996, meeting of the Mission-West Valley Land Corporation and minutes for the September 5, 1996, meeting.

3. The agenda for the October 1, 1996, meeting of the Marketing Committee and the minutes for

the September 17, 1996, meeting.

4. The September 9, 1996, issue of CAPITOL REPORT.

5. The September 27, 1996, issue of DVC FORUM.

6. The September 23, 1996, issue of FA NEWS from the Foothill-DeAnza Faculty Association.

Announcements/Conferences

1. A call for students, friends, and non-profit organizations to participate in the 1997 Olympiad of the Arts has been issued by Mary Fleischli and Robert Parker. For more informa-

tion, please contact Robert Parker, Administrative Coordinator for the West Valley-Mission Colleges Foundation at (408) 741-2066.

2. The deadline for submitting 1997-2000 PG&D Proposals is 5:00 p.m., October 11, 1996, in Human Resources Department. For additional information, contact Joy Free, Chair (WVC- PE).

3. The Mission College Music Department will present the Mission Chamber Orchestra in Concert

on October 26, 1996, at 7:30 p.m. in the Mission College Center Space. Tickets are $10.00 in general, $5.00 for students and seniors. For more information, call 748-2792 (Ext. 2284).

4. The Fall NC 5 Conference at Delta College has been canceled. The next conference is scheduled for next April at Fresno City College, and the Fall '97 conference will be held at West Valley College in October.

5. The Grant Application form from Staff Development has been distributed. Deadlines are October 15, 1996; January 16; April 14; and July 11, 1997.

6. The Mission College English Department is presenting a series of films of Shakespeare's plays

in Sorenson Hall on October 11, October 25, November 8, November 22, and December 6.

7. The district has been training district staff in leadership facilitation as part of the district's Strategic Planning process. The fourth facilitator leadership group will meet all day Tuesday,

October 29, and all day Tuesday, November 12, at an off-campus site. Anyone interested in

participating on the two dates should notify Lana Bone (WVC-Ext. 2426, or MC-Ext.3480).

8. The MC Library is previewing a software program called The Electric Library through November. Library staff is inviting everyone to visit the Internet terminals in the library and to

assist in the evaluation of this software.

9. Jim Taylor was selected by the Athletic Department to serve as the new, part-time Athletic Director. In additional the college has a new Soccer Coach, Tony Igwe.

10. Breast Health interactive Videoconferences will be presented in the Ranganathan Room of the West Valley College Library on October 17th and November 7th.

11. Information from the San Jose Repertory Theatre on its forthcoming season.

12. The Mission College Career & Transfer Center will hold College Day 1996 on October 16, 1996, from 10::30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in Center Space.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:40 p.m. (M/S/P - Poe/Boone). These minutes are respectfully submitted by Grace Hazán, Academic Senate Secretary.

THE MISSION COLLEGE ACADEMIC SENATE IS SEEKING ONE (1) FACULTY MEMBER TO SERVE ON THE MISSION COLLEGE STUDENT SERVICES COUNCIL AND THE STAFF DEVELOPMENT STEERING COMMITTEE.

THE STUDENT SERVICES COUNCIL MEETS ON THE THIRD FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM 11:30 - 1:00 P.M. THE COMMITTEE'S CHARGE IS TO REVIEW STUDENT SERVICES' POLICIES, RECOMMEND CHANGES, AND PLAN SERVICES TO STUDENTS.

THE STAFF DEVELOPMENT STEERING COMMITTEE' CHARGE IS TO DEVELOP THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, GRANTS, AND FLEX DAYS, AND WILL MEET APPROXIMATELY ONCE A MONTH UNTIL THE CHARGE IS COMPLETED. AFTER THAT, THE COMMITTEE WILL MEET ONCE A SEMESTER.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON EITHER OF THE ABOVE COMMITTEES, PLEASE CONTACT THE ACADEMIC SENATE OFFICE ( EXT. 2783) BY NOON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1996.