Thursday, May 5, 2011

May 5, 2011: respectfully submitted

ACADEMIC SENATE NOTES
May 5th, 2011

Respectfully submitted,
Melanie Haeri
Senator, Humanities and Languages

Here is a compilation of the notes from the General Assembly Meeting of the Academic Senate meeting for May 5th, 2011.  I have attempted to include all the items which might interest you and be of importance.  The senate minutes are posted online if you wish to read further.

With these notes, Roy and I end our term as Senators for this year.  I know how busy everyone is at this time of year, so I will attempt to be brief. Thank you for trusting me with representation this year.  


1)Public Comments:  Dean Werle announced there will be a non-denominational invocation at Commencement that complies with the recent resolution of the prayer lawsuit.  Per guidelines, the planning committee decided to have an invocation and will provide guidelines to the gentleman giving the invocation. 

2).Executive Reports:     A) President Lisa Allen-Davis –not at the meeting – setting up the Art Sculpture displays.
 B) Vice-President Jeff Kaufmann:  He imbedded his reports within the agenda – more to come in the notes.
B) Academic Affairs Chair Rochford:  i.) Academic Affairs has one more meeting before the end of the semester and may respond to the Early College Report.  ii) IVC2 IVC is finished for the year.  He has 6 verbal commitments from faculty for 2011/12 – part time faculty are encouraged to sign up to speak as well as full time. Email Steve at asenate@ivc.eduor let Roy or me know if you are interested.  
C) Curriculum Committee Chair Jodi Titus:  The Curriculum Institute is in July and Diana Hurlbut from Bio will represent the faculty.  Most importantly – please check the course list for 2011/12 revision and make sure it is accurate with regards to your discipline – some mentioned that there were inaccuracies.  If your courses are up for revision, Jodi will be here most of the summer and offered to help if anyone needs any.
3) IVC Oversight of ATEP: White Paper:   The letter will be forwarded to the president.
4) Strategic Planning and Budget Development  –a) CAFÉ (Center for Academic Faculty Excellence –The Café will be housed in the MRC ( the computer center in the BSTIC building with the metal door and all the windows). This has been agreed to by all parties involved.  It will be a multifunctional space that includes a conference area which can be rented out
5) IVC 2011 Education and Facilities Master Plan: -   The text that goes with the plan is being edited . End of May we will/may see the document.

6) Senate Cabinet Elections:  Elections and cabinet positions are complete for 2011/2012.  Results:  President – Lisa Allen Davis, Vice – President:  Jeff Kauffman, Curriculum Committee: Jodi Titus, Academic Affairs: Steve Rochford, and Recorder: June McLaughlin. The Senate will work over the summer and send an accounting of all activities out in the fall. 

7.)Emeritus Status and Senate Recognition for Retirees: - The language in the contract is very vague as to the retiree benefits  - something to the point of “ what the faculty has”. For those retiring, please let the district know if you would like to retain your email account  - District IT. 

8) Library Subscription  - Chronicle of Higher Education: - The library has done research about the cost of having an online subscription for faculty. For a college-wide subscription the cost is $4450.00, but for site specific computers, it is about $ 100.00 per subscription.  The Senate voted to purchase the subscription for sites as opposed to the college.  We will have one for sure in the Café.

9) SLO Coordinator– Jerry and Kari are taking a break from this role, but will be here to help the new coordinator(s).  The position is now available.  The position has been redesigned and reworked and there is a stipend available.  Anyone who is interested should contact asenate@ivc.edu

10) Men’s Volleyball– And Finally – to end the year’s notes on a good note:  Our Men’s Volleyball team are the National Champions!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

April 7, 2011: respectfully submitted

ACADEMIC SENATE NOTES
April 7th, 2011

Respectfully submitted,
Melanie Haeri
Senator, Humanities and Languages

Here is a compilation of the notes from the General Assembly Meeting of the Academic Senate meeting for April 7th, 2011.  I have attempted to include all the items which might interest you and be of importance.  The senate minutes are posted online if you wish to read further. Please give me any feedback, comments, concerns and ideas concerning the notes or any agenda items.  The agenda is sent digitally the week of the meeting. If you are not receiving the agenda, please let me know.I will have you added to the email.

1).Executive Reports:     A) President Lisa Allen-Davis – Lisa reported that the ATEP Walk About event was held and there not as many faculty in attendance as they had hoped. David B. has invited us to do another one and she has suggested a van or bus to take the faculty there.  
B) Vice-President Jeff Kaufmann:  Jeff announced the hiring process has gone forward for the Library position and that the position will be a faculty position and also accommodate the need for an informational specialist.  This is the fifth faculty position for hiring this year.
B) Academic Affairs Chair Rochford:  i.) IVC2IVC: Steve Felder was the speaker at the last IVC2IVC Lecture on Monday April 4th.  His talk was excellent – I enjoyed it and saw many of my colleagues there. (this is my editorial here although Steve Rochford said the same thing!) Monday May 2ndthere will be a talk about Piracy and Somalia.  Also, look for the email inviting you to participate in next year’s lecture series. 
ii) Distinguished Academic Lecture Series – April 14thCecile Whiting from UCI will be presenting an art history – Los Angeles through Photography.  This will be at 7pm in the PAC – tickets are free but you must get them in advance.  There will be a reception following the presentation.
iii) Fall Flex Week – April 22ndis the deadline for applying to present.  
iv) Post your 38 hours in Flex Tracker as soon as you can. 


2) IVC Oversight of ATEP: White Paper:   President Roquemore spoke to the Senate about the idea of an administration/faculty collaboration on a white paper addressing IVC oversight of ATEP.  He spoke first about the history of oversight and boundaries between the two colleges.  He mentioned the El Toro Rd line – the decision line between the two colleges for courses – the college in the area has first right of refusal.  This was never a “written” rule, but more of an agreement and process that has been used. Other colleges have maps with lines and MOU to offer courses.  He also mentioned that the history of ATEP and its inception and design without faculty involvement in the process went against the rules and accreditation standards. Acting Chancellor, Dixie Bullock, sought to resolve some of these issues during her tenure by making ATEP part of IVC.  If you recall, a district cannot own/run a campus . 
 So, now the issue at hand:  IVC was really only given the 1 acre that is developed.  Unfortunately There are 68 or so more acres that will be developed.  It seems that Saddleback, specifically the president and the Senate originally said they didn’t want to be part of ATEP, but that seems to have changed. Glenn is concerned because at the next board meeting the board will vote to decide if ATEP will be a two-college center.  This is problematic:  we spoke of the various problems this creates, let alone the boundary line of deciding which college gets to put which program at ATEP.  If, for some reason, this would happen, the Accred team said that we would need to then do TWO of everything – 2 self studies, 2 sets of student services, etc.   Glenn believes that IVC should be the college that ATEP stays apart of.  He asked the Senate for help so that in May IVC could go to the Board with OUR ideas for ATEP – not the 2-college model. The Senate formed a small committee that will draft a letter including a) the right of refusal be for IVC for courses/programs and 2) leadership of ATEP needs to be with one college and it needs to IVC.   
The urgency is two-fold- 1) the upcoming board meeting/action and 2) a new building has already been approved and we need to get involved in the decisions regarding the design etc.  

*** Would anyone in  the English Department be willing to lend a hand in the editing? 

4) Strategic Planning and Budget Development  –a) CAFÉ (Center for Academic Faculty Excellence – The go-ahead has been given and there is a place holder for a spot during flex week for an open house D) TracDat Installation and Training – installation and training should be underway before the end of the semester.
7) State Budget and CA Community Colleges Update:  As most of us are aware, the State is bracing for a $900 million short fall.  The $36 a unit price has gone through for the fall although that might not be the end of it. 
8) IVC 2011 Education and Facilities Master Plan: -   According to Craig, the college number projections of WSCH and OSCH matched almost exactly to the numbers from GKK –projections are within 200 sq ft.  It looks like there will be the A400 remodel for Humanties/Languages and Social Sciences AND a Humanities building in the plan.  
9) Academic School Name  - The School of Health Science, Physical Education and Athletics now has a new name: The School of Kinesiology, Health, and Athletics. 

10) Senate Cabinet Elections:  Nominations remain open.  June McColough was nominated as recorder.

11) Special Recognition at Graduation Ceremonies for Early College Graduates – This item brought quite a robust and tense discussion.  The first cohort of students from the Early College Program are graduating this year. There was a movement to recognize these students with a low key , privately funded breakfast and to have an asterisk next to each of their names in  the graduation program.  After much debate and discussion about this, it was decided that the privately funded breakfast was fine, but that our program recognizes academic excellence with asterisks and that all students graduating should have the same standing. So, no asterisks in the graduation program for this cohort, like all other cohorts, unless they meet the academic excellence requirements.  This decision came about with the understanding that all cohorts and graduates at IVC are special, and that none of them receive this recognition.  We should keep the standard we have – honor academic excellence for all who have earned it and let cohorts be honored separately with recognition events prior to graduation or after. 

12) Attendance– another robust discussion.  At the request of Arleen Elseroad, we discussed the attendance rules. She is looking to change the wording from “minimum six hours” to “excessive” to give instructors more control and to word it in their syllabi however they want to.  The discussion showed that many instructors felt that the “6 hour minimum “  language gave them support in this area.  Some felt that we should have some standards.  

13) Faculty Representation needed:  Dave Anderson has requested a faculty representative to sit on the Testing Center Specialist hiring committee.