Meeting of
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
B. Introduction of Guests – including, but not limited to: Ruth Callahan, Susan High, Mary Jane Onnen, Connie Sherman and Lyle Walcott.
Moment
of Silence: President Arnoldt requested
a moment of silence in remembrance of Board Member and former GCC faculty
member Gene Eastin.
Guest
Interim: Dean Connie Sherman
Senate
members introduced themselves to Connie Sherman, who was
recently hired as the new GCC Dean of Administrative Services. Dean Sherman spoke briefly with the Senators
and then took her leave.
C. The
proposed meeting agenda was adopted as amended.
D. The minutes
from the
E.
Treasurer Daugherty reminded Senators that the annual
income for the treasury is approximately $5,000. Senators were encouraged to keep this number
in mind as various initiatives and donations from the treasury were approved.
F. President Arnoldt reported:
·
Twelve-month pay option development is continuing; it is
hoped that the option will be in place by July (in order to start an August to August pay assignment for faculty), but this has
not been guaranteed.
·
Procedures for Professional Growth requests are being examined in order to have more timely
reimbursements.
·
Bond issue is still being discussed
at CEC. The Gov. Board must decide by
its March meeting at the latest.
·
President Randolph has suggested that the campus community
begin thinking about GCC’s upcoming 40th
Anniversary. It is
hoped that a founding faculty history will be written and collected to
preserve this information in a consistent manner.
·
Four sabbaticals were granted to GCC Faculty (out of a total of 25 for the District). Sabbaticals were awarded
to Steven Emrick, Kirt Shineman,
·
New policies governing the Active Retirement “49%” Program have been approved and will go into effect for all those
retiring after
·
A substitute faculty member is needed
on the Travel Committee to replace two members who cannot participate due to
extended illness.
·
A number of bills that affect Arizona Community Colleges are currently being considered, including the potential
change in Board election policies and a bill designed to reduce dual enrollment
funding. President Arnoldt encouraged
all Senators to contact Doyle Burke with their personal E-mail addresses in
order to be kept informed about Legislative activity.
G. FEC Report
·
The FEC Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Subcommittee has
been successful in getting a timeline and process incorporated into Meet &
Confer. The new guidelines will be incorporated into the RFP (Residential Faculty
Policies) as an appendix. The wages and
benefits packages of the Faculty will be tied to
cost-of-living index (the Western States C.P.I.). Money for Professional Growth will be added for each new hire. Senators offered thanks to
Senate Treasurer
·
Meet & Confer team meets January 30 (the day following
this meeting).
·
FEC is considering a review of the RFP (Residential Faculty
Policies).
·
Senators were informed that when
faculty members receive a one-year sabbatical, they receive 87.5% of their full
salary. A question has
been raised as to the distribution of the unused 12.5%.
·
Sandra Dowling, Maricopa Superintendent of Public
Instruction, who is responsible for the selection of the Board Member to
replace Gene Eastin, has received a letter from the
FEC requesting that members of the FEC be involved in reviewing résumés and
serving on the selection committee for the selection of the new Board
Member. The letter also requests that
prior to filling the position, public forums be held
with the potential candidates.
·
FA Peerpoint! will be
published this Spring. Peerpoint!’s first issue will be distributed electronically,
electronic and paper format in the future.
·
President Arnoldt informed Senate that a Legislative bill
concerning the rules for election of Board members is under review; if it
passes, it will affect the next election (i.e., a fewer number of signatures
will be required to get a candidate’s name on the ballot, a change in the
number of Board members, perhaps, as well).
·
FEC is seeking a definition of “shared governance.” Details
of what this really means could help develop a more strategic
concept of governance in MCCCD.
·
FEC has decided that the college Senate Presidents should
give a report of quality teaching and learning at each meeting. It was discussed
that having “no report” at the meetings was not good public relations; it is
appropriate to highlight the quality of excellent Maricopa faculty.
H. Governing Board Report. President Arnoldt reported:
·
President Arnoldt suggested that Senators read Board
President Linda Rosenthal’s introductory speech, which outlines her goals for
2004-5.
·
The next Board Strategic Conversation will be held February 3rd. This
is the 2nd session dedicated to reviewing MCCCD Mission & Values
Statements.
·
A pamphlet entitled “Listening to the Community” has been
published which outlines a number of the topics that were
discussed at last year’s Board Listening Sessions. President Arnoldt suggested that the Senators
review the past year’s efforts of each MCCCD college.
·
Rick DeGraw will be the District
contact person for the potential Bond.
II. Old Business
A. Retirement & Health Insurance
·
No Report
B. October
·
Discussion resumed about considering the addition of an
October holiday to the Fall schedule.
·
Senator Dunnagan reported that two
schools in
·
Senator Reavis reported that local
elementary schools have switched to a year-round calendar and that some local
high schools had added extra days in August to the schedule to accommodate new
October holidays.
·
Senator Reavis suggested that in
order to make Spring equal to fall in terms of accountability, we could begin
school on a Thursday or Friday and then take up to one week in the mid-fall
and/or with simply two days off, we would have equal days of accountability in
the spring and fall without adding extra August days.
·
Senate requested that Senators Dunnagan
& Reavis draw up a short list of reasoning and
accountability dates for Senate and to provide to Jim Reed,
current Student Government faculty advisor.
C. College Plan Review Committee –
· Senators received a draft of the College Plan showing all of the proposed changes in language.
· Senators were informed that Mike Aragon is working on a draft of the Department Chair evaluation/survey. In the current suggestion, each department faculty member would fill out an on-line Likert Scale questionnaire phrased exactly as the Department Chair duties are laid out in the current College Plan. The tabulated results would then be sent directly to the Department Chair for his/her use.
· An extensive discussion ensued about who should have the duty to devise the survey. The point was made that the current version is being drawn up directly from points in the College Plan that have been previously approved. Senators discussed whether either the Department Chairs or the Faculty as a whole should be allowed to review the survey document prior to putting it to use.
· A second topic of discussion centered on whose responsibility or duty it is to administer the survey. Some Senators noted that it was not an official Senate duty and so should not be directly tied to administration by a Senator or Senate committee. After discussion, it was proposed that the department of College Research Services might be asked to call for the evaluation and monitor the technology side of the process.
· Senators requested that the current language of the Plan, particularly that pertaining to the evaluation of Department Chairs, be presented at the next Chair meeting.
· Senators were asked to review the current Plan in its entirety and E-mail any suggested revisions to Senator Daugherty prior to the next meeting.
· Senators discussed how a similar evaluation might be set up for the evaluation of administrators, e.g., deans and president. Senator Daugherty and FEC Rep. Reed were charged with trying to find job descriptions, similar to the one being used to design the Department Chair survey, for the administrative positions. If these are available, it might be possible to design similar assessments for the administrative positions.
D. Constitution Review Committee – Jim Reed
·
FEC Rep Reed informed Senate that the Constitution was still being unofficially reviewed by Toni McClory.
·
Once the current Constitution has
been evaluated, the subcommittee will meet to design clauses pertaining
to those points raised at the December meeting.
·
Reed agreed to attempt to get a draft of the
revisions to Senate by the next meeting.
E. Scholarship Committee Report - Griggs
·
The subcommittee met and discussed the
possibility of setting up a new Faculty Senate funded scholarship.
·
The subcommittee suggests the following: A GCC Senate Scholarship in the amount of
$1000 be awarded at $500/semester.
The subcommittee suggested a tie-in with the GCC Mentoring Program so
that the award would be given to a student in the
program. The scholarship would be given in the name of one particular faculty member who passed
during the current or preceding school year and dedicated to “all GCC
faculty who have passed before us.”
·
Senators discussed the ideas of who would select
the recipients of the scholarship. The
subcommittee suggested that a representative from Senate should serve, as
should an active Faculty Mentor, and someone representing the Mentoring
Program. Senators Dunnagan
and Nelson stated that there might be a conflict of interest involved if
Senators were both suggesting that students apply for the scholarship and then might also be serving on the selection committee; the same
would hold true for a Mentoring Program representative.
·
The following motion was made and seconded:
Move that “the Faculty Senate should distribute
$1000 per year from the Senate budget (to be awarded at $500 per semester) to
student(s) in the Mentoring Program through the College Scholarship Committee.”
·
After further
discussion on the above points, the motion was tabled (by unanimous consent)
until the next meeting.
·
Subcommittee members were charged with the following tasks
to be completed prior to the next meeting:
(1) Speak with Trini Sandoval about Mentor
Program involvement, and (2) Ask Treasurer Daugherty to draw up a detailed
review of the regular incoming and out-going funds in the Senate Treasury so as to obtain information about the level of funding for
the scholarship.
·
Additional information was provided
by the subcommittee on the existence of one or two other faculty-sponsored scholarships
in the current Foundation. The
subcommittee will continue to obtain more detailed
information about standing scholarships and their level of funding.
F. (Letter omitted on agenda)
G. Selection Process for future PBAC for 2003—Arnoldt
·
After a brief discussion of the process utilized to select
members of PBAC this year, the following motion was made and seconded: “I
move that each year, at the appropriate time, the Senate President present, for
Senate approval, a list of 10-12 potential Faculty to
serve on PBAC for that year. The Senate
President will make a call for volunteers and Senate recommendations prior to
submission.”
·
Discussion included information that PBAC would have
additional Faculty representation in the form of the Chair-of-Chairs for that
year, the Faculty Senate President, and one continuing Faculty member from the
preceding year.
·
Senate discussed that the list presented as above would go
to the College President to be narrowed down to an
approved total number of Faculty.
·
Motion passed
unanimously.
H. Senate Statement – Paula Davis/ Bruce Thomas
·
President Arnoldt informed Senate that teaching duties and a
special contract later in the semester will preclude Senator Thomas from
attending Senate meetings during the Spring 2004
semester.
·
Senators Davis, Garcia, and Rivera presented Senate with a
revised statement on the topic of Faculty publications and free speech.
·
Recent situations were discussed at
length, and the proposed statement was extensively
revised by several Senators.
·
A motion was made and seconded to make the following
statement public as a “position statement” regarding Faculty rights and free
speech:
“The
academic environment of a community college is understood to be a place of
debate and academic freedom, and therefore an excellent place to fight
bigotry. Hate speech is of great
concern. We have an inarguable
obligation to combat racism, sexism, and other forms of bias, yet the capacity
of our campus to eliminate bias must stress that all members of the academic
community have the right to hold and express views that others may find
repugnant, offensive or emotionally distressing. Based on our commitment to the principles of
equality and education, this Faculty Senate does not support offensive
communication, nor do we believe that Faculty should be
reprimanded for exercising the right to free speech. We believe that along with the right to
exercise free speech, the responsibility to create and maintain an environment
conducive to learning requires responsible judgment.”
·
Additional discussion ensued, and the question was called.
·
Motion passed
unanimously.
I. Travel Regulations - Griggs
·
Vice President Griggs reported that a second draft of the
suggested travel policies is working through committee.
·
The draft will then proceed to the employee groups for
review and then will be opened for public comment.
·
A copy of the current draft was provided
to Senator Reavis, who travels extensively with
students and is in a good position to review the changes to the regulations.
J. Course Assessment Requirement - Reed
·
Representative Reed reported that the presentation given by
the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) representative had verified that course
assessment is required as part of the new HLC guidelines.
·
MCC’s current lack
of course assessment will likely change once the new HLC guidelines are fully adopted and used in their next self-study.
·
GCC is performing well with the required assessments.
III.
New Business
A. Election Committee - Arnoldt
·
President Arnoldt reminded Senate that we will
have a full election coming up later this Spring. Elections will be held for 5 Senate seats,
Senate Vice President, Senate President, and Counselor-At-Large
·
Senate established an Elections committee to handle duties
required by the up-coming election. As stated in Senate Constitution XIX 8, the
committee must consist of 2 non-officer Senators and 3
non-Senate faculty members. Senators Ottenberg & Davis agreed to serve as the Senate
representatives. The non-Senate
representatives are to be determined.
B.
Faculty Association PAC Revival – Arnoldt
·
FEC is reviving the PAC (Political Action Committee). A treasurer for the group is
needed. The group will examine
the Bond should it be issued and will also follow the
elections of two new Board members this year.
·
President Arnoldt requested that Senate seek out an
additional representative from GCC to serve on the committee. President Arnoldt will be serving on the
committee.
C.
Smoke-Free Areas at GCC - LaBuhn
·
On and after July 1st,
GCC will implement signage that will restrict smoking within 25 feet of
entrances to buildings or exterior vents into buildings.
·
Senator LaBuhn requested assistance from
Senators in enforcing the policy.
·
A motion was made that
Senate issue a statement: “Faculty Senate supports the enforcement of
smoke free areas as outlined by campus policy.”
Motion passed unanimously.
IV.
Information
A.
MCCD/GCC’s Celebration of Gene Eastin’s Life - Arnoldt
·
Reception will be held on February 6th from
· President will be welcoming guests and giving a small introduction. Paul DiPippo will emcee the event. People will be encouraged to share informal memories of Board Member Eastin throughout the reception.
· Contributions in memory of Gene Eastin should be directed to the Maricopa Foundation.
B.
Commencement Speakers - Arnoldt
·
A list of potential speakers
is being developed by George Martinez and College President Randolph.
·
President Arnoldt will keep the Senate informed
as the list is narrowed.
Meeting
was adjourned at
Next meeting of the GCC Faculty
Senate will be held on February 26th at