Glendale Community College Faculty Senate

Meeting of February 27, 2003

Approved Minutes

(Please note: General interest issues or meetings & notifications are listed below in bold to allow them to be located more easily.)

I. General

A. Call to Order: A quorum being present, President Carmela Arnoldt called the meeting to order at 2:37 P.M. Senators present included: President Carmela Arnoldt, Vice President John Griggs, Secretary Pamela Nelson as well as Larry Bohlender, Jim Daugherty, Amanda Dunnagan, Dianna Dwyer, Robert Hubbard, Gary Marrer, Cate McNamara, Alicia Ottenberg, Robert Reavis, and Carl Samuels. Senate-selected FEC Representative Jim Reed was also present.

B. Introduction of Guests – including, but not limited to: René Díaz-Lefèbre, Frank Gonzalez, Susan High, Holly McKinzie-Beene, and Lyle Walcott.

C. The proposed meeting agenda was adopted as amended.

D. The minutes of the January 23, 2003 meeting were approved.

E. John Griggs (for Diana Abel, in absentia) reported a balance of $17,357.21 for all accounts.

F. President Arnoldt reported:

· The District has obtained Federal Appropriations for $800,000: The National Teacher Education Program for $500K and the Hispanic Nursing Fellows for $300K. (Side note, the Bilingual Nursing Program at South Mountain is doing very well –similar programs may be considered at other colleges.)

· Given the anticipated retirement of another Vice Chancellor, (following Dr. Randolph’s move to the permanent GCC Presidency), a reorganization of the District Administration’s structure may be considered.

· “301 Plan” will fund 39 faculty, 13 of which are new faculty positions.

· Dual enrollment bill will be heard by the Legislature soon; it has passed out of committee and may not be changed prior to an official vote; MCCD supports dual enrollment.

· District has formed a crisis management committee, MEND (Maricopa Emergency ‘N Disaster).

· Insurance and risk management are continuing topics at District.

· A new Vehicle Safety Program includes checking employee drivers’ insurance and driving records; prohibition of student drivers and employee cell phone use while driving; driver’s training will be required.

G. FEC Report – President Arnoldt and Vice President Griggs reported:

· FEC has become aware that the District Curriculum Committee has continued to expand the numbers of non-faculty members as seated committee members. A “Policy Implementation Team” from this committee has begun making recommendations. Question has arisen as to how members are recommended to or appointed to this committee and who are voting members (should be faculty committee, as only faculty can make changes to curriculum).

· FEC has continued its request of an audit of MCLI programs; there is some concern that the request for the audit was not taken in the spirit of the request. The idea was that faculty would show they were willing to be audited themselves, in their programs, prior to requesting and commencing with audits of other District programs. Furthermore, the request was timed to precede the up-coming hiring of a new director for the MCLI program. Finally, the idea was to reveal where certain programs may be of more or less benefit in a time of uncertain and possibly limited funding. It was made clear that the MCLI has incorporated a number of faculty programs, including, but not limited to, Honors Program, Faculty Development, Faculty Professional Growth, The Ocotillo Program, FIPP, etc. The MCLI has a total budge of $3.92 million. FEC was presented with a pie chart that divides this total budget into slices based on programs vs. administration, etc.

· Holly McKinzie-Beene presented some numbers with respect to MCLI programs and questions about MCLI and the administrative time spent during Spring Convocation. According to the video, the chancellor spoke for less than 15 minutes, and Crow spoke for under 20 minutes. A total of 617 faculty attended the event, which is 85% of the total attending. Last year, a total of $180,000 was awarded in a total of 48 Learning Grants, 8 of which were awarded to GCC faculty in a broad spread of topics. There have been 5 Dialogue Days so far this semester: 398 people have registered for these events, with a total of 299 unduplicated names (i.e., not the same people attend every event); in the opinion of the speaker, “rank & file faculty are better served” by the current MCLI than the y have been in the past and the MCLI procedures and criteria are clearer than in the past.

· The topic of 49% retirement has re-surfaced in FEC and at other colleges, where campus employees were made aware that their program would suddenly be cut (currently under reconsideration). As funding for 49% positions comes from individual college budgets, the idea of moving the funding back to District funding was discussed.

· A new faculty-position allocation equation has been approved. This allocation will be implemented in four phases. The new equation relies more on growth and less on the percentage of growth (which the larger, more established campuses find difficult to obtain). In the new equation, the number of faculty positions bought with campus funds would be matched by an equal number of positions funded by the district.

· A FEC member requested a moratorium on the FIPP program, but was told this was “not an option.” The program will be re-evaluated at the end of the year. FEC has requested that the program be stopped and evaluated in order to make changes beneficial to achieving its objectives.

· FEC was presented with information about the District’s diversity standings. Diversity focus groups were held and a report about the diversity of the District was published; over-all the District was “doing pretty well.”

At this point in the meeting, the agenda was halted for a discussion with GCC President Phil Randolph. Senate President Arnoldt welcomed Dr. Randolph and congratulated him on his permanent appointment. GCC President Randolph opened the floor for questions from the Senate and spoke with the Senate about the following:

• GCC President Randolph will be holding a faculty listening session regarding the Campus Climate survey follow-up on April 4^th at 2PM. This meeting will not be a formal response to the HLC (Higher Learning Commission, formerly NCA) charge to re-examine the campus climate. Instead, meetings like these, to be held with all campus groups, will serve as a mid-step, informal progress report that will be a stepping-off point for the formal evaluation of campus climate. President Randolph has already met with PSA. Linda Hawbaker and Jack Rose will also be present at each of the listening sessions to lend support in taking notes and providing perspective from the previous campus survey. President Randolph is “looking forward to meeting with faculty.”
• GCC President Randolph intends to continue developing a GCC Strategic Campus Plan. He intends to review and examine the current GCC planning procedures so as to bring more people and plans together to “work smarter.” President Randolph discussed the shift that is taking place in academia toward “incrimentalism,” in which the campus must be diligently and continually re-examining procedures for incremental updates to HLC. As part of this discussion, President Randolph also informed Senate that the primary HLC contact for GCC has changed. The over-all plan for GCC will encompass the ideas of the GCC Futures Committee, MCCD Board Strategic Plans and HLC recommendations.
• GCC President Randolph stated several times that his intention is to clarify goals and plans and not to “self-inflict work” that would add to the already stretched schedules of hard-working college employees.
• The GCC Planning would then be tied into the Budget Development process directly; discussions have included a brief plus/minus on the recent budget activity. Future plans include developing an agenda and delivering information to the campus about future directions. The GCC Plan and Budget should be directly linked to a reasonable extent.
• On the topic of capital planning and bond: Chancellor Gaskin has asked four of the college Presidents to sit on a committee to shape numbers and ideas regarding the future of the Bond. GCC President Randolph has been asked to serve on this committee and will do so.
• GCC President Randolph reported that the Governing Board Listening Session held this past week at GCC was a “home run.” He thanked all those who were of much help in putting the event together and reviewed the attendees and the positive feedback from the community members and alumni who spoke during the Session.
• One of the Senators asked GCC President Randolph about his plans to replace former Dean Joyce Elsner who moved on to become South Mountain CC’s Dean of Administrative Services. President Randolph replied that a specific decision had not been made at this time. Regis Della-Calce has filled the Director of College Business Services position, which is a Grade 8 position (a Dean is Grade 9). There is no intent to hire an “interim” Dean due to the tendency for an Interim to chill the application pool if the campus decides to hire a Dean position after examination of the situation. President Randolph wants the message to be clear that this position exists to serve the Instructional and Student Services components that drive the college’s work. Additional questions about the duties of a new dean were fielded.
• GCC President Randolph assured Senate that there was no plan to dissolve the 49% program at GCC. He verified that a “unilateral decision” can be made on a campus to dissolve the program if the funding simply does not exist to continue the program, but this is not the case at GCC. He asserted that the faculty retirement program is probably the most secure because there is always a need for instruction. President Randolph would propose that the 49% program as a whole – through District – should be managed so that, for example, an equation or date would be set after which incoming people would only have access to “x” number of years of retirement or that if college members worked a certain number of years they’d be able to receive a certain number of years of 49%, etc.

Dr. Randolph thanked Senate for the opportunity to visit, and Senate returned to the agenda.

H. Governing Board report. President Arnoldt reported:

· The proposed increase in tuition ($5) will be discussed at the Board meeting this evening (2/27/03). Students are expected to attend.

I. Meet & Confer update. FEC Representative Jim Reed reported:

· The Meet & Confer team has sent another letter to the Governing Board requesting a response to their earlier salary proposal.

II. Old Business

A. Retirement & Health Insurance – Jim Reed for Doug Dawson

· The proposal for retirement insurance is under serious consideration.

· In the proposal, retirees before age 65 will be able to get $1800 from the ASRS program and $1500 from District to apply toward insurance premiums, PLUS they will be given the option to stay in the MCCD plan.

· The Senators continued to applaud Doug Dawson and his team on his continuous and diligent pursuit of this resolution.

B. Testing Center – Arnoldt

· Problems in the Testing Center seem to have abated; fewer complaints have been registered both from and to the Center.

· Dean Sanchez intends to convene the sub-committee once more this Spring

C. Faculty Senate Scholarship Account

· President Arnoldt has obtained detailed information about memorial and Senate scholarships from Judy Blake and Regis Della-Calce.

· This information will be passed on to the Scholarship sub-committee to examine and recommend options to the Senate regarding annual awards and published scholarships.

D. Copyright Guidelines

· President Arnoldt showed Senate copies of the District Copyright Guidelines that have been distributed to all faculty members.

· Further information from Library staff will be forthcoming regarding the Teach Act which adds to the Fair Use Act.

E. Mentoring

· Carl Samuels reported that the 1^st round of Early Warning/Mentoring Program meetings had been successfully held and that a second round was about to begin.

· The Mentoring Program seems to be successful.

III. New Business

A. College Plan Sub-committee – Griggs

· A review by the Department Chairs of the wording of the section of the current college plan, with respect to how departments are modified, has been finished.

· John Griggs is in possession of a copy of the proposed modifications from the Chairs, which he will bring to the sub-committee for discussion.

· The subcommittee will review the entire College Plan document, including those changes proposed by the Chairs, and bring their suggestions back to Senate.

· The subcommittee will be made up of (pending the acceptance from non-Senators who were not present at the meeting): Diana Abel, Jim Daugherty, John Griggs, Michael Holtfrerich, Pam Nelson, and John Winters.

B. Senate Election Sub-committee

· Senators Alicia Ottenberg and Dianna Dwyer are heading up the elections subcommittee.

· A standardized nomination form was sent to all faculty by MEMO; a paper ballot will be distributed in campus mailboxes next week.

· The subcommittee will put together a process and set of forms for future use.

· Ottenberg and Dwyer requested that Senators encourage as many people as possible to run for the available positions.

· Ballots will go out 3/31/03 with a week-long voting opportunity.

C. Student Recognition Day - Beene

· Holly McKenzie-Beene described the Student Recognition Day event for the Senate and displayed the silver star paper weight to be awarded to this semester’s recipients with the Senate’s approval of funding.

· The following motion was made and seconded: “I move the Senate approve an amount not to exceed $1500.00 to fund the purchase of items to be awarded at the Spring Student Recognition Day event.” The motion passed unanimously.

IV. Information

A. Personnel Folders -- Arnoldt

· President Arnoldt informed Senate that several questions were raised recently about types of Faculty folders available and who had the right to view each.

FA President Rosemary Kesler provided President Arnoldt with the following information:

A total of 5 total folders are kept on MCCCD faculty:

1. Official Human Resources File – kept in District Employee relations

There is a nationally accepted standard that this file contains the following: (Once something goes into it, it stays in it)

a. Application

b. Transcripts

c. Job Offer

d. Professional Growth Advancements

e. PAR ( Personal Action Request) any time one’s salary or job changes, a copy is kept

2. Medical File – kept in Employee Relations

This file, by law, FERPA, cannot be mixed with the Human Resource File and can not be seen by anyone. Employees have this file only if they have taken a medical leave.

3. Benefits Office

Contains the forms for employees’ health benefits selections

4. Vice Chancellor of Human Resources has a personal file if there is some activity, but it is unofficial.

5. Campus – could have multiple files, but none is official.

· A discussion about who has the right to view these files, especially the unofficial ones, ensued. It is possible that some of these unofficial campus files will and do contain student evaluations, a summary of which may be viewed publicly when requested. It was unclear why a chair would provide student evaluations to campus administration in order for those evaluations to become part of the public file. Senate requested that Vice President Griggs raise this question at the next Department Chairs meeting.

· It was suggested that it would be wise for all faculty to periodically review their personnel folders.

B. Fulbright Scholarships - Arnoldt

President Arnoldt encouraged the college community to take advantage of the many funding, professional growth, and travel opportunities that are made available.

C. Catalogue Update of Faculty Names - Arnoldt

· Assoc. Dean Massal has raised the question of whether all of the credits following the names of each faculty listed in the catalog are necessary.

· President Arnoldt requested the will of the Senate with respect to managing the information to be printed.

· The point was made that all degrees or accreditations which directly benefit teaching and learning and faculty members in their teaching duties should be noted; furthermore, listing faculty qualifications increases the prestige and recognition of the college.

· Senate did not recommend any action, but agreed that the listings should remain the same, possibly with smaller type or more pages in the Catalog.

D. Commencement Speaker

· President Arnoldt invited George Wittenburg to offer Faculty Comment at Commencement 2003. Senate agreed by consensus.

The meeting adjourned at 4:37 pm.

Next meeting of the GCC Faculty Senate will be held on March 27th at 2:30 pm.