Thursday, August 29, 2013

• August 29, 2013

Bugsy, cat
AUG 29 (2013) meeting of the Academic Senate



Chris H (nurse) was on hand to introduce her temp replacement. Chris received a resolution honoring her service.


Our own Melanie H made a public comment on behalf of our School re faculty hires. Faculty and Admin had agreed to pursue hires at a certain rate, and they have not lived up to the agreement; we are way behind in hires.


Ac Sen Prez Kathie S reported: Accred reports are moving along. Also working on our “planning and decision-making manual (PDM). You can view a draft in “Inside IVC.” Let us know if anything is missing or erroneous.


Changes to the “Strategic Planning Committee” are being contemplated. The committee structure will be streamlined. We’ll revamp “college council” into a new entity. In part this responds to concerns about faculty presence on important committees. I opined that discussions of our committee/planning structure seem right out of Monty Python, so Byzantine and convoluted is this structure/process.


Somebody suggested that our planning structure is like a Bonzai tree that needs pruning. Nope, it’s a bush from Hades that needs to be  cut down (I opined).


“Resources requests” are, of course, a big issue, as Melanie can attest.


Kathy reminded us that it is imperative that we “participate” in this committee/planning structure. We don’t want to become voiceless owing to a failure to show up.


VP Bob U opined that it is amazing how well things work given the great complexity of the issues involved. Faculty input is “better” these days compared to recent years, he said.


Bob reported on the budget: I asked if the Budget Solutions Recommendation Committee (BSR) has issued its recommendations, if those recommendations have been promulgated, and the extent to which administration has accepted these recs. (You’ll recall that the committee was formed in Fall 2012 in response to discovery that Glenn was going to act on the “fiscal emergency” (projected costs exceeding revenue) by cancelling all hires.


The answer seemed to be: yes, BSR has issued its recs, and, no, it is not clear what has become of them and the extent to which administration is accepting them. On the other hand, one key recommendation, that we maintain a healthy reserve, has been embraced. We now have a $1million reserve. That’s good.


We’ve paid off some debts, which is good too.


Recently BSR worked with Davit (the college budget officer), considering various scenarios. Bob and Kathy (our senate officers) noticed that, on many of these scenarios, are reserve would dwindle and even disappear. So they noted this. It seemed that Davit and crew had not noticed this and exhibited no enthusiasm for their point. Not a good sign.


We’ll be moving forward with a list of 15 to be hired, but it is not likely that all of them will be hired.  We don’t know whether the rec will be approved by the board.


There’s a COLA increase.




I reminded the group that, last year, BSR members reported that inquiries (directed at Davit/Glenn) regarding where the money went often received a “don’t know” response. Did we ever get clarity about those things?


No. “Still don’t know,” said Bob and Kathy.


Kathy suggested that, in the course of these interactions with Davit, one infers that Davit tends to work “on the fly.” “He’s not a planner,” said Kathy.


I pressed the matter: how is it possible that we are not planning? Some seemed to feel that I was pointing a finger unfairly at Davit, but I explained that it is the PRESIDENT’S responsibility to make sure that effective planning occurs. It would seem that effective planning is not occurring.


Melanie likened the scramble for funds/resources to the “Hunger Games.”


Craig J said “blah, blah, blah.” That, at any rate, is what I got out of it.


Ac. Affairs Chair Roopa M reported: Don’t forget to log your flex hours. The site is set up for that. Mentioned speakers lining up for our lecture series.


Diana H, our Curriculum maven, reported: the next meeting will be Sept. 17. There’s a concern that we are engaging in “false advertising” re some of our degrees. We need to review some of our language out there, need some updates. Areas need to take on “ownership” of degrees, clean things up.  We need to keep our promises or stopping making them.


Many courses need updating, having not been updated since 2002. Supposedly, things are due Sept 1, but that’s not realistic, it seems.


Diana noted that the Accreds are causing grief where they find that people are using Powerpoint in the classroom without displaying verbiage describing the image (for vision-impaired persons). Must accommodate that group by having something the reader-assistant can read. Beware.


Kathy discussed the Board Policies (etc.) in the ongoing review process. You’ll recall that we rejected BP 180 (“mutual respect,” aka civility) on the grounds that it seemed to give to deans a “platform for disciplining instnructors” on their perceived civility; worrisome. Eventually, Chancellor P saw our point, and so changes have been made. The second paragraph has been changed. There were no obvious objections to it.


Kathy advised that faculty take a look at proposed revisions for BP 176 (college service areas), 3502 (campus safety), 4073 (reassigned time), and maybe even 5201 (enrollment limitations). Also 6125 (field trips).


Any volunteers for the Grade Grievance/Student discipline panel? Of course not.


WE were asked to get feedback on the draft of “district-wide goals.” See attachment G.


--Senator Roy

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