The De Anza Academic Senate
Approved Notes for the meeting of
February 22nd , 2010
Senators and Officers present: Anderson, Argyriou, Brennan, Glapion, Goodwin, Guevara, Hanna, Larson, Lathers, Lee-Klawender, Maynard, McNamara, Nengo, Nickel, Norte, Roberts, Schaffer, Setziol, Singh, Stockwell, Swanner, and Tao
Senators and Officers absent: Annen, Beckum, Beggs, Botsford, Cordero, and Mjelde
District Senate President:
DASB: Classified Senate:
Administrative Liaison: Rich Schroeder Guests: Jackie Reza, Brian Murphy, Linda Thor, and Matt Bradley
SLO coordinators: Colleen Lee-Wheat and Jim Haynes
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 2:34, a quorum being present.
I. Approval of Agenda and Notes: The agenda was approved as distributed.
The draft notes of February 8th were approved as distributed.
III. Introduction to New Chancellor: Brian Murphy introduced new (five days on the job) Foothill - De Anza District Chancellor Linda Thor. Thor told the group a little about herself and then launched a round of self introductions including responses to a request by Thor. The request was “If you were Chancellor right now, what would you do?” Most of the group spoke articulately and passionately in response to the request. Thor made it a point to speak to the responses in a thoughtful and respectful way and took notes about each.
II. Needs and Confirmations: Donna Stasio, Matt Abrahams, and Elaine Lee were confirmed for service on the Speech Faculty Search and Selection Committee. Marilyn Patton, Marshall Hattori, Julie Pesano, and William Turner (Reading) were confirmed for service on the English Faculty Search and Selection Committee. Michele Dubarry (ESL), Julie Sartwell (English), and Veronica Acevedo Avila (Reading) were confirmed for service on the Language Arts Instructional Support Specialist (classified) Search and Selection Committee on the condition that at least one man (EO rep or ACE rep) is assigned.
Lee-Klawender pointed out a need for a faculty member on the Professional Relations Committee.
VI. Pay to Stay Committee: Argyriou asked for and got Executive Committee members to volunteer for an ad hoc “Pay to Stay” committee. Brennan, Roberts, Maynard, and Lathers volunteered.
IV. Academic Probation and Dismissal: A document was ditributed detailing numbers of students dismissed or put on various levels of probation over the last five quarters. Tao reiterated the various levels of probation and the interventions applied at each level. Argyriou announced that the matter would return for the March 1st agenda.
V. SLO Assessment Timelines: There was a presentation by Jim Haynes, Jackie Reza, and Coleen Lee-Wheat. The presentation was a proposal for the group to approve timelines unifying SLO, Program Review, and Curriculum Review cycles. Some concerns were expressed about moving from a five year to a six year curriculum review cycle .
It was MSCU (Anderson/Hanna) to approve the proposal.
VII. DARE Taskforce Update: The item was held over
VIII. Senate President's Update: Argyriou focused on items of interest from the latest Chancellor’s Advisory Council meeting. One item of note was a recommendation by classified union representatives to spend down an employee protection plan fund. This was opposed by District finance staff. The topic of the Board questioning the funding of Professional Development Leave (PDL) also arose. The Faculty Association President said that suspending PDLs would cause problems for those currently scheduled to start them and that it would mean asking a small group of faculty to solve a large portion of the budget problem.
IX. IPBT - Update: Lee-Klawender mentioned that the IPBT would focus on the subject of trimming $200,000 of reassigned time from the College budget.
X. Courses Into Disciplines: Setziol distributed a document outlining two topics, the biennial State Disciplines Review Process and observations about De Anza’s Courses Into Disciplines and FSAs report. As to the former, he gave notice of the opportunity for faculty to propose changes in the definitions of discipline qualifications or initiate new disciplines. He pointed especially to a new list specifying non master's degrees. As to the latter, he reminded the group to be diligent in their knowledge of the De Anza Courses Into Disciplines and FSAs Report and mentioned that the current trend appears to be a less thoughtful approach to assigning qualifying disciplines to new courses than previously.
XI. March for California’s Future: Goodwin distributed a flyer about this pending march up the central valley from Bakersfield to Sacramento and rallies at colleges and universities along the way.
XII. Wrap Up: The item was not addressed.
XIII. Good of the Order and Announcements: Matt Bradley of the Students for Justice group announced a Tent City event scheduled for the main quad in the near future, Faculty were urged to support and even participate.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:32.