Notes - May 21st, 2007

The De Anza Academic Senate
Approved Notes for the meeting of
May 21st, 2007

Senators and Officers present:, Bambhania  Cadge-Moore, Chenoweth, Coleman, Cordero, Dolen, Gallegos, Goodwin, Guevara, Hearn, Jensen-Sullivan, Kramer, Lee-Klawender, Lizardi-Folley, Miller, Osborne, Paicius, Schaffer, Setziol, Walton, Winters, and Zill
Senators and Officers absent: Capitolo, Cole, Glapion, Joplin, Kessler, Lathers, and Raffaelli
DASB:
Classified Senate:
Administrative Liaison:  Christina Espinosa-Pieb
Guests: Brian Murphy, Jeri Montgomery, Barbara Illowsky, Kathy Kyne, and Chien Shih
Curriculum Co Chair:  Anu Khanna
[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 removal of Dan Mitchell's name and Item VIII – Treasurer's report.
The notes of May 14th were approved as distributed.
II.  Needs and Confirmations:  Chenoweth went through committee needs and Hearn mentioned that some of them would be discussed as part of item IV on the agenda.   Chantal Tao and Mary Pape were confirmed for service on the WAITT Committee.
At this point College President Brian Murphy addressed the group about a pending announcement by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office not to pursue rape charges pending against current De Anza students.   Murphy pledged that athletes in particular would be given training about sexual harassment and assault.
III.  District Senate President:  Barbara Illowsky was introduced.  She gave the group some information about her current activities connected to Academic Senate responsibilities.  She was confirmed without objection.
IV.  Sub Committee Cleanup:  Two committees were focused upon, the We're All In This Together (WAITT) committee and the Bond Measure Review Committee.  With two members added during the meeting (Item II above), the WAITT committee has enough members to begin functioning.  As a discussion about the Bond Measure Review Committee began, a sense of the Senate quickly emerged that it would be very helpful in all committee recruitment efforts to have written descriptions including meeting times, status and role of committee, etc.  The officers emphasized that identifying and contacting individuals was more effective than blanket announcement.  To that end, Hearn said that, given names forwarded by Senators, she would invite individuals to serve.  Newly tenured faculty were said to be good candidates for service.
V.   Alternative Course Materials – ebooks:  Jeri Montgomery presented this initiative by the bookstore whereby faculty could possibly reduce textbook cost for students by agreeing to use a text available electronically for a time sufficient to ensure the sale of a minimum of 50 access cards.  Response from Senators was mixed.  Some doubted the net savings to students (given the cost of printing etc.) while others pointed to the fact that use would be confined to one computer as very problematic, if not a fatal flaw for many textbook uses.  It was suggested that faculty wishing to participate would be well advised to include a pros and cons statement regarding "ebooks".  Still, given the pilot nature of the project, the entirely voluntary nature of it, the fact that new and used standard textbooks would still be available for the same classes, and there being no implication of promotion on the part of the Senate, no one objected to the project going forward.  Montgomery will return soon to discuss book rental, something which has obvious appeal but significant cost to the bookstore.
VI.   EIS Update:  Kathy Kyne and Chien Shih came to present an online questionnaire on the Educational Information System (EIS) project and to answer questions.  Vendors will be asked to bid to a wide array of specifications.  The array is likely to be so great that no one vendor is likely to be able to provide all the needs and wants uncovered through various means including the upcoming questionnaire.  Faculty will be strongly urged to participate since the final specifications and vendor selected will have a direct bearing on how they are able to use information and access it.  Paicius volunteered to research how the "eportfolio" consortium would fit into an administrative system based experiences at San Francisco State and perhaps other institutions.  Answers by Kyne and Shih to questions largely elicited confidence.
VII.  Process for Hiring Committees :  The item was planned to be a codification of language pertaining to those sections of a process document said previously to be non controversial.  To that end, the officers distributed new language and a flow chart.  As discussion unfolded, however, it became increasingly clear that new specific language seemingly favored by the group was repeatedly running into conflicts with existing Board Policy and Administrative Procedures.  By the end of the time of the item, Hearn concluded that the group should approach the subject by first describing what is desired and then dealing with changes in Board Policy and Administrative Procedures necessary to implement what is desired.
IX.  Good of the Order:   -  Jensen Sullivan distributed a few copies of a draft flyer "Keeping us Clean and Green"  and sought approval for the concept expressed in the flyer and flyer itself.  Finding both to be non controversial, Hearn announced them to be approved without objection.
-  There will be no meeting next week due to the Memorial Day Holiday.
-   Winters described the upcoming visit of Geneva Gay, expert in cultural competency.
-   Hearn announced that a person has been selected to provide instructional testing.  Due to timing, however, the person won't be able to start until the ninth week instead of the seventh week as hoped.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:31

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