Notes - February 12th, 2007
The De Anza Academic Senate
Approved Notes for the meeting of
February 12th, 2007
Senators and Officers present: Bambhania, Capitolo, Chenoweth, Cole, Coleman, Cordero,
Dolen, Gallegos, Glapion, Goodwin, Hearn, Jensen-Sullivan, Joplin, Kramer, Lathers,
Lizardi-Folley, Lee-Klawender, Maynard, Miller, Osborne, Otake, Raffaelli, Setziol,
Winters, and Zill
Senators and Officers absent: Kessler and Schaffer,
DASB: Yvonne Luo
Classified Senate: Olivia Patlan
Administrative Liaison: Christina Espinosa-Pieb
Guests: Fred Sherman, Kathy Kyne, and Chien Shih
[NOTE: Item numbers are reflective of agenda numbers in the order they
are actually taken up at the meeting.]
The meeting was called to order at 2:30 a quorum being present.
I. Approval of Agenda and Notes: The agenda was approved as distributed with the renumbering
of item VII. As VIIa. And the addition of an item VIIb Course Materials Policy. The
notes of February 5th were approved as distributed.
II. Needs and Confirmations:
Rich Schroeder, Kulwant Singh, Cheryl Owiesny, Marcia Peterson, and Scott Hertler
were approved for service on the Women's Softball Search and Selection Committee.
Mayra Cruz, Cordero, Christina Lopez-Morgan, Linda Conroy, and Terry Ellis were approved
for service on the Child Development and Education Search and Selection Committee.
During this item Bambhania left the meeting to find out whether or not the Chemistry
Department was ready to bring back their committee for approval. When she returned
she reported that it was not.
III. Democracy and Sustainability Networks: The group voted unanimously to endorse
De Anza College participation . During discussion an expression was made suggesting
that the college needed to create it's own, in house version with very specific examples
as opposed to the generalities in the two declarations examined by the group.
IV. Educational Information System Selection Process: Fred Sherman, Kathy Kyne,
and Chien Shih were present to make a presentation about the group of people examining
competing bids for this large and enormously expensive endeavor. Kyne was the principal
presenter. She focused on the process being used and that they are compiling a list
of best practices and trying to match up what various vendors are offering with the
highest priorities of the District. Next up is getting student input. Kyne et al
were advised to have the average user provide input and not to have the savviest of
student computer users comprise the majority of students offering input. The overall
cost was said to be nearly impossible to determine but Fred Sherman said that Measure
E will provide $11,000,000 and that that will not be enough. More briefings will
follow.
IV. Instructional Testing Update: Hearn and Christina Espinosa-Pieb reported to
the group about items of interest from the February 5th discussion. Article 19 faculty
could perform the service. However, with only $4,000 currently available, that possibility
presents an untenable trade off . Previous discussion estimated that an hourly rate
of $20 would provide 20 hours per week of coverage. The use of Article 19 faculty
would mean that either the number of hours would be drastically reduced [perhaps to
8 hours per week] or much more money would need to be found. It was MSCU (Cole/Bambhania)
to have weeks 6-11 be the six consecutive weeks allowable per term.
V. District Senate President Compensation: The item focused primarily on whether
compensation should come in the form of a stipend or released time. Points for both
were well received.
VIIa. Institutional Preparedness: Setziol began the presentation by handing out
a document which, in turn, referenced a second document available at the meeting.
Both documents pointed to an urgent need for the college to present a friendlier,
more helpful face for new and potential students. Both guests, Ben Rodriguez and
Patrick Gannon spoke to the large number of students we lose each quarter (at least
7%) before or during the first week of classes. Many positive things that could be
done or were done previously are not being done at the present time. Individual awareness
of the problem seems to be widespread but institutional awareness appears to be sorely
lacking. There was strong and emotional support for the presentation. Senators were
asked to consider possible plans for action in this area.
VIIb. Course Materials Policy: Hearn focused on getting a decisive statement of
priority from the group owing to the fact that there appears to be strong opposition
to some of the specific language proposed by the group, especially from the Faculty
Association and the Foothill Senate. After serious consideration, it was the sense
of the Senate that 1) Hearn should give up the word "primary" if there was not quick
consensus on a 50% +1 definition and 2) the reference to participation in curriculum
development should be dropped.
VI. Bond Measure Project Review: Setziol spoke to the item and said that, to date,
costs to fix problems and correct mistakes that could have been avoided had easily
exceeded $1,000,000. He and others suggested that a lack of oversight in general
and faculty oversight in particular was the main cause. Discussion centered on whether
it would be best to form a new, very time intensive committee or to try to redirect
the Campus Budget Committee and especially the Facilities Committee to ensure faculty
involvement in all stages of planning and construction etc. Jensen-Sullivan suggested
that the efforts involved in the building the Kirsch Center could serve as a model.
Her offer to bring the person primarily responsible for the success of that effort
was quickly accepted.
VIII. Environmental Policy/Sustainability Plan: The group reviewed a revised draft.
It appeared that all the changes from the previous draft were made in direct response
to previous Executive Committee requests. It was MSCU (Joplin/Goodwin) to approve.
IX. Strategic Planning Update: Hearn's rhetoric wove two, equally appealing threads.
One was that the Planning and Budgeting Team work previously announced was on schedule.
The other was that there are three meetings being held in the next two weeks which
will provide opportunity for feedback to Summer Bridge/First Year Experience/Cultural
Competency, Retention/Early Alert, and Peer Tutoring/Mentoring item proposers Hearn
will send out more complete information..
X. District Electronic Mail Address Usage: The item was held over.
XI. Good of the Order: - A FACCC Teaching and Learning Conference will be held
at De Anza March 2nd and 3rd.
- Contact Raffaelli if you are interested in Outdoor Gardening Day.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:32