Notes - April 28th, 2008
The De Anza Academic Senate
Approved Notes for the meeting of
April 28th, 2008
Senators and Officers present: Argyriou, Bambhania, Coleman, Cordero, Dolen, Gallegos, Glapion, Goodwin, Guevara, Hanna, Kessler, Kramer, Lee-Klawender, Maynard, Miller, Ng-Lee, Schaffer, Setziol, Walton, and White
Senators and Officers absent: Chenoweth, Hughes, LaManque, Lathers, Mitchell, Shively, and Winters
DASB: Classified Senate: Al Guevara
Administrative Liaison:
Guests: Ernest Chavez, Brian Murphy
Curriculum Co Chair: SLO Coordinator:
[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 2:34 a quorum being present.
I. Approval of Agenda and Notes: The agenda was approved as distributed with a reordering by taking up item VI after item II due to President Murphy's schedule.
Also included in this item was a reminder by guest Ernest Chavez of attempts to revive a tradition of demonstrations on any number of issues May 1st.
II. Needs and Confirmations: Glapion was confirmed for service on the Maria Delay Tenure Review Committee replacing Mary Bennett.
Kramer alerted the group that four or five new tenure review committees would be needed due to new hires and that a replacement for Rich Schroeder Tenure Review Coordinator will be needed.
VI. Reorganization: President Murphy was present and introduced the group to a new idea wherein the student success group of programs (which will need some consistent name) would become a division serving other divisions with a dean just for it and an additional dean position would be created by moving the non teaching faculty staff development position to administration. This new administrative position would be responsible for Distance Learning, the Library, and Staff Development. There will be a cost differential between merely moving the staff development position budget over and the cost of the new position and there are new issues of responsibility given the Academic Senate's responsibilities in the area of faculty development. Murphy will need and can perhaps now expect Academic Senate support and collaboration in both areas.
It was the sense of the Senate to support this new direction of President Murphy's thinking.
III. Opening Day Speakers: A document was distributed giving information about each of ten potential speakers under consideration as of the start of the meeting. To this list Setziol added the name Van Jones and, distributing a document about him, noted that his name had been inadvertently dropped after being proposed last year. After a thoughtful discussion, it was the sense of the senate to recommend 1) Van Jones, 2) Amory Lovins, and 3) Jean MacGregor.
IV. Board Policies: Three drafts were distributed, one on "Publication of Instructional Materials", one on "Guiding Principles for Land/Site Acquisition", and one on "Student Trustee Selection Procedures". Kramer briefly introduced each of the documents.
With regard to "Publication of Instructional Materials", the group recommended striking the last sentence (because of irrelevance and tone) and striking the word "sole" from the penultimate sentence (because it would make the entire sentence ineffective).
With regard to "Guiding Principles for Land/Site Acquisition", the group charged Chenoweth and Kramer with questioning the need for a new "Educational Center" and, therefore, questioning the need for language in the document referring to the idea.
With regard to "Student Trustee Selection Procedures", Kramer's explanation of and favorable judgement about new language pertaining to the removal of a student trustee from office found the group nodding (not nodding off) but otherwise refraining from comment.
V. Spring Plenary Review: While Setziol distributed his written report on the session, Kramer spoke to breakout sessions he attended. He focused on a breakout session on hiring and tenure. He happily announced that, at least in terms of having good policy and procedure language, De Anza appears to be in a better position than many other colleges. This presentation stimulated discussion of division dean responsibility and division dean actions with regard to part time hiring and the relationship of part time hiring with full time faculty, scheduling, and full and part time assignments. The group was reminded that the policy for hiring part time faculty is very close to that for full time faculty. The group may be well served by a review of that policy and a subsequent reminder of it and its provisions to faculty and administrators.
Setziol quickly took the group through the document distributed and focused on the section containing a selection of resolutions voted on at the session and the outcomes of votes on them.
VII. Good of the Order and announcements: Kramer announced the recent awarding of the status of "Distinguished Educator" to Eugene Rodriguez from the Art department.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:02