Cabrillo College Faculty Senate
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
3:08 PM – 5:04 PM
Sesnon House
In Attendance: Eva Acosta, Rebecca Arnesty, Winnie Baer, Dave Balogh,
Janus Blume, Virginia Coe, Becka Fortune, Jean Gallagher-Heil, John
Govsky, Steve Hodges, Calais Ingel, Renee Kilmer, Brian Legakis, Diego
Navarro, Beth Regardz, Dave Reynolds, Georg Romero, Dan Rothwell,
Letitia Scott-Curtis, Topsy Smalley, Mary Ellen Sullivan, Alex Taurke
Note Taker: Eric Barbour
Guests: Brian King, Dale Attias
1.0 Call to Order
1.1 – The meeting was called to order at 3:08 PM.
2.0 Minutes
2.1 – Reviewed the 4/28/09 minutes. (new additions italicized)
2.1.1 – Changes: Alex presently serves formerly served on the GASB 45
(Retirees Liability) committee as CCFT rep (3.1.4) Bblackboard (3.3.1)
The WES (Women for Educational Success) fund has ~$900
total/semester available for women in emergencies, offering up to $300$500 per person (6.1)
Amended minutes approved without opposition
2.2 – Reviewed the 5/12/09 minutes. (new additions italicized)
2.2.1 – Changes: Had been waiting on how CSU handles International
Baccalaureate and whether they get GE for it (3.1.4) Need people to help
clean up; it is more important to be polite than to be capable of heavy
lifting (3.2.1) MA 176 (Phlebotomy) Medical Assisting filled to capacity
for Fall which just opened for everybody yesterday (3.7.1) Tomorrow
celebrating Dia del Maestro (3.7.2) The idea could also be to move people
on from CC after 60 units because they have a degree and don’t need to
stay for more. Statewide Academic Senate strongly opposing it in favor of
maintaining the 18-unit area of emphasis or major (3.9.3)
Amended minutes approved without opposition
3.0 Reports
3.1 – President (Steve Hodges)
3.1.1 – No report
3.2 – Vice President (Letitia Scott-Curtis)
3.2.1 – A piano player may be available for the party. Idea of paying $50
for the player was put across the table. Need help setting up & cleaning
up; volunteers should place their names and emails on the signup sheet. If
you have clear crystal vases (on the small side) please bring them to be
filled with flowers.
3.3 – Secretary (Georg Romero)
3.3.1 – Georg is termed out after this meeting; looking to recruit the next
incoming secretary. Secretary job is fairly straightforward: posting to the
web is the biggest role of the secretary since students have been taking
minutes.
3.4 – Treasurer (Dave Reynolds)
3.4.1 – We are keeping within budget to date
3.5 – CCFT (John Govsky)
3.5.1 – All faculty will be getting black armbands for finals week to make
visible our feelings about the budget and the impact that it has on
education
3.5.2 – Ballots will be due on June 2 for elected officers and other CCFT
related business
3.5.3 – HMO will have an 18% health benefits increase. This Thursday
(5/28) there will be a meeting from 3PM-4PM in room 314 to discuss the
issue and our options.
3.5.4 – Continuing to negotiate severance packages for the two tenured
faculty.
3.6 – CCEU (Janus Blume)
3.6.1 – CCEU appreciated staff appreciation week and is looking forward
to the employee picnic
3.6.2 – There are emails coming about lateral transfers, so evidence is
present of the unfreezing of positions
3.7 – Watsonville (Eva Acosta)
3.7.1 – A thank you to AGS for their Faculty / Staff Appreciation Dinner
3.7.2 – Another thank you for those who helped with Dia Del Maestro
3.8 – ASCC (Becka Fortune)
3.8.1 – The ASCC Student Senate President-Elect is Kaycee Beames.
3.8.2 – The new senate will take office on Thursday, May 28th
3.8.3 – 628 total ballots
3.8.4 – Vote included an 85% approval of our revised constitution
3.9 – VPI (Renee Kilmer)
3.9.1 – Scott Lay from CCLC disavowed an email for the district
productio
3.9.2 – 58% to Cabrillo from categoricals
3.9.3 – There has been some consideration on the state level of reducing
funding to “recreational” PE classes to the 50% non-credit rate. Similar
considerations may exist regarding certain art, photography, etc. classes
3.9.4 – To fight the coming cuts, lots of emphasis has been placed on
making cuts to CCC more impactful in legislators’ minds. They need to
be abundantly aware of the impacts reduced funding will have on our
society.
3.9.5 – Not all CCCs are presently at or over cap. Cabrillo is currently
around 12% (1600 FTES) over cap (or is this the entire system that is
12%?)
3.9.6 – There is a legislative proposal to raise tuition to $60/unit. Money
would go back to general fund rather than going directly back to the
schools.
4.0 Unfinished or Ongoing Business
4.0 – Motion: Donate $300 to CCEU Picnic
4.0.1 – Have given money in past years and would like to continue
tradition
Approved without opposition
4.1 – Cabrillo College IB Policy
4.1.1 – Two exams need to be added to the list
4.1.1.1 – Psychology HL 5 3 3 D9
4.1.1.2 – Theatre
HL 4 6 3 D1
4.1.2 – Motion to approve Cabrillo College IB Policy with stated
amendments
Approved without opposition
4.2 – AB440
4.2.1 – Legislation to allow CCCs to create a transfer studies degree
4.2.2 – Likely to be put into effect
4.2.3 – State Academic Senate lobbying to keep the 18-unit emphasis
requirement at minimum. CCLC in favor of legislation
4.2.4 – Permissive bill rather than a mandatory one; governing boards will
be able to decide whether they do or do not want to have a transfer studies
degree at their school.
4.2.5 – Prior to our 18-unit emphasis, our liberal arts degree was similar to
the proposed transfer studies degree. Mary Ellen was not fond of the 18unit emphasis; the transfer studies degree is a perfectly fine thing.
4.5.6 – Alex: if you are going to get a bachelor’s degree it seems as if the
AA/AS is not an important thing to concern over. Mary Ellen: statistics
show that students with AA/AS degree holders earn more money on
average next to diploma holders. Alex: But is it the piece of paper or is it
the skill acquired in college which gets them the higher pay? Virginia: at
least at Cabrillo, there is proof that having one piece of paper over another
does afford a monetary benefit. Mary Ellen: Some people do not end up
attaining their bachelor’s ambitions despite the pursuit and having the AA
to backdrop on is a major benefit to them.
4.3 – Budget Update
4.3.1 – There is ~50% ballpark categorical cut expected, propositions to
raise fees to $60/unit, etc.
4.3.2 – Summer connectedness will likely occur as a web of emails;
decisions will have to be made during summer. Some people may feel
somewhat left out. Brian: the last thing I want is for people to think that
decisions will be made over summer for any reason other than because
they have to be. Georg: perhaps an all-faculty email encouraging faculty
members to make sure to read their emails over summer in order to be
capable of providing feedback and staying in the loop: they lose the right
to say they weren’t involved if they shut their computers down on June 6th
and leave them off until August. Town hall meeting this Thursday from 24PM in the theater
4.3.3 – Blogging may help people feel connected. Perhaps we could
create some forum threads on the upcoming issues?
4.4 – Party Planning
4.4.1 – Signup sheet passed around and returned to Letitia
4.4.2 – Introduction of guests of honor will be early at the party so that
there is time left at the end of the day for mingling
5.0 New Business
5.1 – WS7 Mapping
5.1.1 – WS is going through program planning right now. WS7
“Psychology of Women” is mapped to psychology, women’s studies, and
counseling at present time. Asking to allow sociology dept. teachers to
teach WS7 as well
Motion to include sociology department in mapping for WS7
Passed without opposition
5.2 – Curriculum Committee Report
5.2.1 – 24 program modifications, 2 new certificates, 96 modifications to
existing course, 23 new courses, 16 special topics courses
5.2.2 – Faculty Senate must approve curriculum recommendations before
they are able to the Governing Board.
5.2.3 – Astro 10 & 11 will be replaced by Astro 3 & 4
5.2.4 – Motion to approve Curriculum Committee recommendations
Passed without opposition
5.3 – Repetitions and Withdrawals
5.3.1 – Complications with technology have held up the policy change
timeline. New policy will come into effect starting winter of ‘10
5.3.2 – Students are limited to 4 withdrawals in a single course. Students
may repeat non-repeatable courses only if receiving a substandard grade.
5.3.3 – Criteria came from state; not a Cabrillo idea for institutionalizing.
5.3.4 – Need to reduce recommendations for withdrawal for students who
are having difficulties because they will now we have limits. Could be
setting up a student for an F if they already have 4 withdrawals and then
miss class while waiting to go through the withdrawal process. It is still
OK to recommend withdrawals to students if teachers gather sufficient
information from them before giving the recommendation.
5.3.5 – After receiving a substandard grade, the student will tick away
substandard grade marks instead of withdrawal marks for any withdrawal
made. See Credit Non-Repeatable Courses policy.
5.3.6 – Policy also states that we are supposed to collect information from
other colleges in our enforcement of provisions. Implementation of policy
will be an object for future consideration.
5.3.7 – For teachers who automatically drop students who have ceased
showing up, you will not be able to drop them if they are past their limit
and you will only become aware that they are past their limit once you
have tried and failed at dropping them
5.3.8 – A student can still petition to retake a class disregarding these rules
but then they would not be paid for by state.
5.3.9 – For repeatable classes, W and substandard grades still tick away
ordinary repeatability.
5.3.10 – David: this had better be very boldly publicized to our students.
Dropping students without their consultation may be tenuous under this
new policy, even if they have not been showing up. Perhaps slipping a
sheet of paper into the registration statements would be a good way of
informing students of the new policy.
5.3.11 – It is common among online students to enroll in classes and then
drop the same class over and over - possibly for insurance reasons or to
appease someone; these students could be a good sample to observe the
effects of the new policy during fall semester, before the policy actually
begins. Perhaps IT can supply teachers with the information on numbers
of withdrawals, etc. during each course.
5.4.12 – Lifelong learners are most likely to be impacted by repeatability
and withdrawal restrictions; perhaps we should write kinder letters stating
that enrollment will no longer be possible for them because the current
letters are rather stern.
5.4 – Student Services Structure
5.4.1 – Tabled discussion to some time in the Fall semester
6.0 Open Forum and Agenda Building
6.1 – No items
7.0 Adjourn
7.1 – The meeting was adjourned at 5:04 PM.