January 26, 2026

I. Call to Order

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Welcome

Erik Woodbury shared some holiday treats as well as copies of the ASCCC publication Rostrums with the Senate. The Rostrum is published 3 times per year. It is the main vehicle for ASCCC to share their perspectives on statewide activities.

The meeting was called to order at 2:32 pm.

Erik asked representatives to complete their report out.

Voting Members attending in person and those joining online with their names and meeting locations published on the agenda used the roll call vote link to establish quorum. They also used the same link to approve the agenda, the January 12, 2026 meeting minutes, and the consent calendar.

Roll Call Vote (23)

Angela Welch, Angelica Esquivel Moreno, Christopher Bradley, Dave Capitolo, Doli Bambhania, James Adams, James Capurso, Jayanti Roy, Mark Hamer, Mark Landefeld, Mary Donahue, Mary Pape, Ravjeet Singh, Rusty Johnson, Shagun Kaur, Sherwin Mendoza, So Kam Lee, Steve Nava, Sukhjit Singh, Umar Douglas, Veronica Acevedo Avila, Viviana Alcazar, Yuri Chang

Quorum reached.

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II. Agenda, Minutes, and Consent Calendar

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Approval of Agenda, Minutes, and Consent Calendar

Approval of Agenda

Yes 23: Angela Welch, Angelica Esquivel Moreno, Christopher Bradley, Dave Capitolo, Doli Bambhania, James Adams, James Capurso, Jayanti Roy, Mark Hamer, Mark Landefeld, Mary Donahue, Mary Pape, Ravjeet Singh, Rusty Johnson, Shagun Kaur, Sherwin Mendoza, So Kam Lee, Steve Nava, Sukhjit Singh, Umar Douglas, Veronica Acevedo Avila, Viviana Alcazar, Yuri Chang

Agenda approved.

Approval of Minutes from January 12, 2026

Yes 22: Angela Welch, Angelica Esquivel Moreno, Christopher Bradley, Dave Capitolo, Doli Bambhania, James Adams, James Capurso, Jayanti Roy, Mark Hamer, Mark Landefeld, Mary Donahue, Mary Pape, Ravjeet Singh, Rusty Johnson, Shagun Kaur, Sherwin Mendoza, So Kam Lee, Steve Nava, Sukhjit Singh, Veronica Acevedo Avila, Viviana Alcazar, Yuri Chang

Abstain 1: Umar Douglas

Minutes approved.

Approval of Consent Calendar

• Hiring Committees for ESL and Geography
• RFP (Request for Proposal) process for DA Dining Services, Jennifer Quevedo, faculty representative 
• District Diversity & Equity (DDEAC) Advisory Committee/ Human Resources Advisory Committee, Lindsay Bell, faculty representative

Yes 23: Angela Welch, Angelica Esquivel Moreno, Christopher Bradley, Dave Capitolo, Doli Bambhania, James Adams, James Capurso, Jayanti Roy, Mark Hamer, Mark Landefeld, Mary Donahue, Mary Pape, Ravjeet Singh, Rusty Johnson, Shagun Kaur, Sherwin Mendoza, So Kam Lee, Steve Nava, Sukhjit Singh, Umar Douglas, Veronica Acevedo Avila, Viviana Alcazar, Yuri Chang

Consent Calendar approved.

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Public Comment

Ravjeet Singh: Faculty did not receive census certification reminders from the admission office for the winter quarter. The reminder was sent on census day from the deans. The spring quarter classes are not appearing on the active roster. It goes directly from winter to the summer quarter.

(Follow up from Ram Subramaniam later in the meeting: ETS is working on both issues to ensure census certification reminders are sent to all faculty in future quarters and address the recent communication gap. The Office of Instruction will resolve the issue of spring classes not appearing on the active roster.)

Shagun Kaur: the Academic Senate website is being updated for accuracy and better navigation. They would appreciate feedback on the new website redesign as well as patience during the transition. Please report broken links.

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III. Needs and Confirmation

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District and College Needs

District and College Needs

Executive Vice President De Anza Senate - Spring 2026

Faculty Coordinator VIDA - Spring 2026

Apply for the position by submitting letters of interest to Michelle Fernandez, Dean of Equity. Job description has been published.

Hiring Committee: College Director of Fiscal Services (1 Faculty)

There was a call for a volunteer from the executive committee. The position has been posted. The hiring process should be completed by the end of June. 20-30 hours time commitment.

Bob Singh will confirm interest and participation by the end of the day or tomorrow. The Senate approved this appointment pending confirmation from Bob.

Tenure Review Committee (At Large Members) 

Urgent need. Lack of at large members will delay the formation of tenure review committees. Representatives please encourage faculty in their constituency groups to apply

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Confirmations

Nominations and Elections Committee

(need 3 volunteers from the executive committee)

Doli Bambhania, Dave Capitolo, and James Perla-Adams volunteered to serve.

No objections.

Committee confirmed

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IV. New & Continuing Business

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Quick Notes:

De Anza AI Faculty Fellow: AI Downloads

Chesa Caparas (AI Faculty Fellow) outlined her plans to gather faculty perspectives on AI integration in teaching and learning, with a goal of expanding the program to include classified and student representatives. 

Chesa will be hosting AI Downloads meetings (on Zoom) to centralize faculty opinions and ideas through AI-related conversations. Through these meetings, they will discuss how to protect faculty work and academic freedom in the age of AI. The schedule is on the professional development website.  Please join the meetings for community building and to advocate for expanded AI support and resources.

Encourage constituents to attend Chesa's AI "download" sessions.

 Spring Plenary

The ASCCC Spring Plenary was announced for April 9-10 at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Rosa. The Academic Senate encouraged faculty participation with scholarships for registration. Faculty may also use conference and travel funds from professional development.

Title IX Training Session

There will be both in-person and online training.

March in March

March 12 in Sacramento.

AP/BP update: Academic Freedom and Free Speech

The Academic Freedom and Free Speech proposal is currently under review at the district level.

Senate Student Award Update

The Senate Scholarship Committee will be meeting regularly to review and grant awards.

Faculty, please encourage and nominate students for this award: https://forms.office.com/r/QRFn8vkMRJ

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Block Scheduling Committee Update

• Guiding Principles
• Time Block Schedule Task Force
• DA Suggested Block Schedules_Rev_Jan20_2026

Debbie Lee and Brett Johnson, Time Block Schedule Task Force

This is a primary report. They are working on a time block schedule to better serve student needs with the goal of creating an inclusive, thoughtful, and student-centered recommended solution to conflicting schedules and facilities optimization​.

They reviewed the DASG Senate Survey: Resolution for Block Scheduling in De Anza Biology,Chemistry, and Physics Lab Offerings. The survey cited scheduling conflicts, the desire for stackable core classes, and the necessity for interdepartmental scheduling consistency​

First, they do research -> review-> conduct -> evaluate -> create.

In the developmental phase, they listen -> draft -> develop -> explore.

They shared some sample schedule blocks and asked for feedback. 

They want feedback. They need feedback from departments. They are happy to present in department meetings, participate in a conversation, and gather detailed scheduling feedback.

There was discussion about lab techs' working hours and the need to gather feedback from classified representatives. 

Next step. refine -> begin-> continue -> compile -> present.

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GE Committee Update

• Charge
• GE Philosophy
• GE Criteria: Area Criteria

The GE committee, co-chaired by Bob Singh and Erik Woodbury, presented their suggested updates, including a revised GE philosophy statement and criteria. The committee had been working on these updates for about a year, focusing first on the philosophy before moving to specific criteria. They emphasized that the updates align with state laws and regulations, particularly regarding transfer patterns.

GE Philosophy and Criteria Update

The Committee presented their updated philosophy and criteria for the seven academic areas, which will replace the previous matrix system. The philosophy document outlines the committee's vision for general education courses, emphasizing real-world applications and environmental contexts. 

The presentation focused on the development and review of seven general education areas, including Communication, Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning , Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Natural Sciences, Ethnic Studies, Physical/mental wellness and personal development. The committee aimed to create flexible criteria that would not exclude existing courses while providing enough specificity to maintain academic integrity.

Discussion

Jamie raised questions about the inclusion of women's and LGBTQ studies in ethnic studies courses, which was explained as being limited by the state-defined requirements. The Ethnic Studies area was designed to align with transfer requirements, though limitations exist due to collaboration challenges with CSUs and UCs.

The committee also discussed the development of a civic engagement certificate, though this was not part of the current GE criteria. 

A key discussion point was the debate over whether lab components should be required for Natural Sciences courses, with the committee noting differing opinions and the need for broader feedback. 

The conversation ended with a reminder to communicate. The group encouraged faculty to review the philosophy document and provide feedback before it goes up for a vote later in the quarter.

Share updated GE philosophy statement and area criteria with department/constituency groups and provide feedback to the GE committee before the end of the quarter. People can leave notes in the draft.

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District Strategic Plan Introduction

District Strategic Planning 2026-2030

https://www.fhda.edu/_chancellor/a-vision-priorities.html

Gohar Momjian, Vice Chancellor for Strategy, Institutional Effectiveness and Engagement 

District Strategic Plan Refresh

The district is refreshing its strategic plan, building on work from 2023-2025 and focusing on simplicity, broad input, and alignment between Foothill, De Anza, and district operations. The 2027-2030 strategic plan will be published in a 10-15 page document with five district-wide strategic priorities, each containing one specific goal with measurable lead indicators for accountability. The executive leadership team, including college presidents and vice chancellors, is proposing district-wide goals in areas such as equity, learning, digital transformation, career pathways, and global citizenship, with the first equity goal focusing on redesigning course scheduling to support workforce health. The timeline for the plan's update includes adoption by May/June, with plans for feedback from various stakeholders and a potential joint academic session in April for endorsement.

The five Goals or Strategic Priorities: Equity, Learning, Digital Transformation, Career Pathways, and Global Citizenship. 

For more details, see the document and the slides in the links. 

Feedback welcome.

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Constitution Update: Proposed Wording

De Anza Academic Senate Constitution Amended Winter 2026.docx

Veronica Avila motion to approve. Bob Singh seconded

No objection.

Updates approved.

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Academic Senate Financial Update

The Senate is maintaining a consistent balance with increased income from membership dues which allowed them to expand its support for faculty and students. In the fall, they welcomed the new hires. They increased the stipend for part-time at-large Senate representatives. They continued to support faculty-initiated programs to build communities like the EqiTea. The Scholarship Committee is actively reviewing student applications and awarding grants

Next: Send out email to all faculty with the proposed constitutional updates and manage the faculty-wide voting process.

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RAPP Update

Postponed.

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Good of the Order

None

Please review all report outs (View only link for public access)

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Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4:28 pm.

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Attendance

In person

Erik Woodbury, Shagun Kaur, So Kam Lee

Veronica Avila Acevedo, James Adams, Viviana Alcazar, Doli Bambhania, Christopher Bradley, Dave Capitolo, James Capurso, Lisa Castro, Yuri Chang, *Jacob Chen, Umar Douglas, Kevin Glapion, Mark Hamer, Mark Landefeld, Sherwin Mendoza, Angelica Esquivel-Moreno, Mary Pape, Christian Rodriguez, Jayanti Roy, Lakshmikanta "LK" Sengupta, Ravjeet Singh, Sukhjit Bob Singh, Leah Smith, *Ram Subramaniam, Angela Winch

Online

Mary Donahue, Rusty Johnson, Jamie Pelusi

Absent

*Deborah Armstrong, Barbara Dahlke, Lauren Gordon, Dawnis Guevara, Leah Smith 

*Non-voting members