The De Anza Academic Senate
Draft Notes for the meeting of

 November 16th, 2009

Senators and Officers present: Anderson, Annen, Argyriou, Botsford, Brennan, Cordero, Glapion, Goodwin, Hertler, Hanna, Larson, Lathers, Lee-Klawender, Maynard, McNamara, Mjelde, Nengo, Nickel, Norte, Roberts, Schaffer, Setziol, and Stockwell,

Senators and Officers absent: Beckum, Shah, Singh, Swanner, and Tao

District Senate President:

DASB: Marlo Custodio Classified Senate:

Administrative Liaison: Rich Schroeder Guests:

SLO coordinators: 

Curriculum Co Chair:

[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 2:32, a quorum being present. 

I. Approval of Agenda and Notes: The agenda was approved as distributed.

The notes of November 16th were approved as distributed with the correction in Item IX that the result was not unanimous.

II. Needs and Confirmations: There were no confirmations. Lee-Klawender instead went over needs for faculty service on various committees.

III.Senate President's Update: Once again Argyriou was very thorough in her report. She focused on the following items:

  • The two finalists for the District Chancellor position will conduct open forums Wednesday, November 18th and Thursday. November 19th .
  • The budget forecast for 2010-2011 was said to be not so rosy. Apparently, it is likely that another round of budget reductions to the tune of $4,000,000 is in store. The budgeting process will start in earnest in January when the governor's budget comes out including possible mid year cuts. The partial backfill for categorical programs will end. The reserve for staff protection may have to be tapped again.
  • The strategic planning process underway is operating with the following three principles being paramount: student access, student success, and stewardship of resources.
  • A loss of apportionment has occurred at Foothill due to errors in registration procedures and WSCH accounting in Physical Education. De Anza had similar WSCH accounting problems in Physical Education but no registration abnormalities.
  • The proposed venture at the NASA Ames site is still being discussed with new problems having come up and with at least one Board member talking about finding an alternative site for the use of property acquisition funds.
  • The Senate-FA Liaison group met November 11th with the following topics being the principal items discussed: Health Benefits, Board Policy on Academic Freedom,  the Add/Drop procedures at De Anza, team teaching, faculty transfers, and Instructional Associates at De Anza. With regard to Instructional Associates (IAs), the officers announced that they and the FA leadership have decided that having IAs in classes as assistant instructors (i.e. grading papers and exams) in classes for which faculty are getting double or triple load is inappropriate and indefensible, especially in light of cuts in other areas. This generated a lengthy discussion with nearly everyone present participating. Ultimately it became clear that the group supported the officer's position and expects the practice to end as part of the budget reduction process.

IV. Board Policy 6120: Graduation Requirements: The officers distributed a proposed version which pared down the current language. Discussion made it clear that the group wanted some specific and clear language about major requirements in the policy. The officers will come back with a new version.

V. IPBT Update: The members of the IPBT decided not to make any rubrics that the whole college would use. Instead, they are waiting for the divisions to determine their own priorities and to make their own rubrics or criteria. Then IPBT will review the suggested cuts from each division for effects on FTES and feasibility and may make other suggestions based on program reviews or other data.

Division deans should be having discussions with all of the faculty in the division about budget cuts. Each division dean was given some examples of how to approach budget cuts along with a list of each course in the division, its title and description, and when it has been offered. Most faculty at the meeting indicated that they had been or will be included in budget reduction meetings but many had questions or comments (see VI.)

VI. Budget Reductions: Argyriou stated that the Senate does not have a position as to cutting any of the three major areas of instruction (transfer, basic skills, and Career Technical Education). The Senate needs the divisions to decide about priorities within their areas of instruction at this point. Senators were asked to review the previously distributed Enrollment Management document. Argyriou also offered to meet with individual Senators to review their student data and such to help them facilitate. She will send out a comprehensive document to Senators to help them guide discussions in their divisions.

 Suggestions/comments from De Anza's senators included:

  • Look into load differences for budget cuts (but would take several months, years)
  • To make it "fair", suggest cuts based on making "practices across the campus", not specific persons
  • What are the Administrators cutting/reducing?
  • Laying off recently employed classified staff may reverse the "diversity hiring" efforts of recent years.
  • Many faculty were confused about how to cut their budgets without affecting FTES

Suggestions from Academic Senate officers to faculty: (also part of VII. Wrap Up)

  • Academic Senate shouldn't tell you what to do, not even to make a rubric, but only help with ideas
  • Each department and division will have to make up its own priorities (whether it makes a rubric, or whatever), as long as all faculty are in the discussion
  • Could use the state Academic Senate's documents about enrollment management (previously distributed)

VII. Wrap Up: 

VIII. Good of the order: - Get faculty & students, get groups to go to legislators' offices (in town if possible)

  • THURS., November 19 -- general assembly -- in Conf. Rm A & B 3:30-8:00 PM to determine how to fight budget cuts to CCCs
  • Jan. 13 -- walk-out? teach-in? (organized by students)
  • Stockwell distributed a statement by the Multicultural Staff Association (MSA). He asked that it be an agenda item. It will be an agenda item November 23rd.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:38

Back to Top